Return of the Heirs
by Leath1
Summary: Read Petunia Takes Charge first… Harry and Dudley are going to Hogwarts. Albus is playing games with Harry’s life and Voldemort is hiding in a diary. It is going to a very interesting year not only for Harry but the entire Wizarding World.
1. Chapter 1

Return of the Heirs

Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of Harry Potter. I'm just borrowing them. I promise I'm not making a dime off of this…

Ratings: T

Summary: Read Petunia Takes Charge first… Harry and Dudley are going to Hogwarts. Albus is playing games with Harry's life and Voldemort is hiding in a diary. It is going to a very interesting year not only for Harry but the entire Wizarding World.

Chapter One

_September 1__st_

It was six in the morning at Rosewood Hall and the boys were sitting at the table in the sunroom eating breakfast or they should be. Harry was inches away from having a face full of oatmeal when Remus and Sirius burst into the room. "Wake up!" Sirius yelled scaring Harry so badly that the poor kid jumped a foot out of his chair right before his face fell into his oatmeal.

Harry ran his thumb across his eye wiping the oatmeal away as he glared at his Godfather. "You are going pay for that," Harry said.

Sirius laughed. "Prongs Jr. wants to get into a prank war," Sirius said smiling childishly.

"No, he does not," Petunia said walking into the room. "Harry still has packing to do. Besides, he can't do magic outside of school." Petunia pulled her wand and cleaned Harry up. "Now, eat up then go upstairs and finish packing. I want to be at the train station by nine." Petunia gave Sirius a stern look before getting her own breakfast and sitting to enjoy it.

"Yes, Aunt Petunia," Harry said and he finished eating his breakfast looking up at Sirius giving him dirty look now and then. If his aunt hadn't been there, Sirius would be wearing Harry's breakfast, not Harry eating it.

Harry and Dudley both went upstairs after that to finish their packing. Petunia had bought both boys new trunks. These trunks were magically lightened trunks making it easier for the boys to carry. They had three areas that magically expand when needed. This way Harry had enough room for his books and school supplies, his clothes and of course his broom and Quidditch gear.

Harry also had enough room to carry the books that Hermione had begged him to take with him from the Ravenclaw Library. It turned out that a lot of books that were in their personal library were books in the restricted section of the Hogwarts Library. Once Hermione found them, 

she couldn't resist in reading them. The trouble was that there were so many she didn't have time to finish all of them. So, Harry was her personal library. He would borrow the books and she would read them during the school year. Harry didn't care as long as she didn't make him read them. The last one he had put in the trunk had covered his entire desktop. He was shocked that the book shrunk as he started to put it inside the trunk. It fit perfectly in the spot designed to hold books.

Harry was double checking he had everything when Dudley walked in carrying his broom. "Did you find more about your ability to talk to snakes," Dudley asked.

"Yes," Harry said pulling out a book from his trunk _Magical Gifts and You__. _He opened the book to a spot in the book where he stopped reading. "It says here that Parseltongue is only just one magical gift that I could have. It seems that since I can talk to one animal. There might be others that I can talk to," Harry said.

"How do you find out what other animals you can talk to?" Dudley asked.

"I found a potion that can be brewed to tell what kinds of gifts that a wizard has. I'm going to show it to Hermione and see if she can do it for me," Harry said.

"Why don't you do it?" Dudley asked.

"I hate brewing potions. It is one of my worst subjects," Harry said as he put the book back into his trunk then grabbed for Dudley broom. "We better get going. We don't want to be late," Harry said placing Dudley's broom beside his Nimbus before closing the trunk.

While Harry and Dudley were getting to go to Hogwarts, Vernon Dursley was sitting in his lawyer office that morning with an intern from Petunia's law firm finishing up the final details of his divorce. Vernon was dressed in a wrinkled brown suit with catsup stains on his white shirt waiting for his low paid lawyer to finishing reading the paper. "Oh, give me those," Vernon snapped grabbing the papers from the man before him and signing the papers quickly. "It doesn't matter as long as I don't have to pay that woman a dime. I bet she is living on the streets right now, that is why she didn't bother showing up."

As the intern took the papers, he said, "Oh, no. Lady Evans is busy getting the boys to school. It is beginning of term after all."

"Lady Evans?" Vernon said his face turning red.

"Yes, I assumed you knew this. You wife is from a very powerful family in the Wizarding world. She controls several seats from the Wizengamot," the Intern said and he put the papers in his briefcase and left.

Vernon turned glaring at his lawyer. "You knew about this?"

"Of course, I did, I'm a squib remember, but you did not want anything do with 'that world'," Vernon's lawyer said mimicking Vernon's first remark when the man hired him. "You wanted a cheep and quick divorce and that is what you got. Good day, Mr. Dursley."

Vernon stood there his face going from red to purple before settling on white. He grabbed his chest and fell to the floor. His lawyer sighed and said, "Oh, dear, why me." The man the picked up the phone and called an ambulance. The only reason the man spent the next moments keeping Vernon alive was because Vernon's check hadn't passed yet. If it had, he would have just sat behind his desk and waited for the medics to arrive. He wouldn't have called the ambulance if he had known Vernon Dursley was as poor as a church mouse.

Dudley, Harry, Petunia, Remus and Sirius stepped out of the floo network at Platform 9 ¾ to find some of the others had already arrived. Neville and his Grandmother were the closest to them. Petunia walked up to Mrs. Longbottom and said, "Good morning, Mrs. Longbottom, you look lovely today."

"Thank you, Petunia. I love your dress by the way that color is perfect for you," Mrs. Longbottom said as she glanced in her grandson Neville's direction. "Neville your toad is getting away again," Mrs. Longbottom said to her grandson.

"Trevor," Neville cried out grabbing the toad and putting it back into his traveling box. "I don't get why he always wants to get away."

Harry heard a crooking coming from inside the box and laughed. "Harry," Petunia said giving the boy a gentle shove miss reading the boy's laughter.

"Sorry," Harry said trying to hide his smile. He finally understood Trevor's problem and figured he would tell Neville about it later. Trevor was not a boy but a girl. She wanted to go and find a mate but Neville keeps her from doing it.

At that moment Susan Bones and her Aunt Amelia walked over to join the group. Susan joined Harry and the others while her aunt talked to Petunia and Mrs. Longbottom. "I swear it 

gets worse every year. I don't know why the Headmaster doesn't allow us to take the children to Hogwarts ourselves. It would be so much easier," Amelia Bones complained.

"There is more about that school that needs changed then how the kids arrived. Do you know that the curriculum hasn't changed since the founder's time? Divinations; that class is out of date; everyone knows it can't be taught. You either have the gift or you do not." Mrs. Longbottom said.

"Well, we do try to change things but Headmaster and some of the older generation just can't take change. I really hope I don't when I am that age," Amelia Bones said.

"I hope you were not adding me to that category," Mrs. Longbottom said.

"No, my dear, you are nowhere near being old. I'm talked about the ones who are over a hundred. They don't know when it is time to let the younger generation take over. They seem to think they are right we are just young pups," Amelia said.

"I know Lucius is not a man that you agree with lightly but I'm starting to think he is right. It is time for Albus to retire and let someone else be in charge of Hogwarts," Petunia said.

"Yes, I sometime think that myself but Professor Dumbledore is well Professor Dumbledore. He does know more then we do most of the time," Amelia admitted.

"Don't count on it," Petunia muttered. The ladies heard her but ignored her. They thought they understood why she felt this way about the Headmaster but if they really knew the truth even they might think of having Albus Dumbledore removed from the school.

The group slowly made there way towards the train Harry, Susan and Neville greeting people as they passed. Harry introduced Dudley to several of the boys from Gryffindor House. Finally though they finally made it to the train with the help from Remus and Sirius, a compartment was found and the boys' trunks were stowed away. "Now, you behave," Petunia said to both Harry and Dudley as they stood on the platform beside the train.

"We will," the boys promised smiling innocently.

"Oh, I like the look. It is good," Sirius said winking at them as he and Remus stepped off the train.

"Come on, Sirius," Remus said dragging his friend away leaving Petunia and the boys alone.

"I want to say good-bye," Sirius complained.

"Later," Remus said.

"Okay, spoiled sport," Sirius complained and he walked away with Remus.

Petunia shook her head and said, "That man is an overgrown child." Dudley and Harry laughed, they liked Sirius most of the time unless he was playing prank on them and then he got annoying.

Finally everyone had arrived and the train was ready to go. The kids were hanging out windows saying one more good-bye to their parents and siblings. Sirius was giving Harry some advice about who to prank, how to prank and when to prank. Harry promised he would try and the train started forward.

Harry and his friends were cramped into one of the compartments. Harry had just given Hermione the book that he found about magical gifts. She took the book and quickly started to read it. "What is that?" Ron asked.

"It's a book about magical gifts," Harry explained.

"Oh, why do you want to know about them?" Ron asked.

"Because Ronald, it would be nice what strengths you have and you don't. This way it will help you figure out what you should do when you grow up," Hermione said looking up from the book.

"That is years away," Ron said.

"Not that long," Hermione said and she went on reading.

Susan was looking over Hermione's shoulder and said, "I would love to read that when your done."

"Sure," Hermione said and she moved the book just enough to share it with the girl.

Ron huffed at this pulling out his chessboard. "Harry, you want to play?"

"No, but I bet Dudley would," Harry said smiling. Harry found out that his cousin loved chess. He played it on his computer all the time. Dudley's computer had a chess set that played almost like wizard chess. Harry lost in that too but he figured that Dudley had a chance to beat Ron at least better chance then he did.

"Okay," Ron said and he figured anyone to beat was better then none.

Dudley and Ron played chess. Hermione read the book. This left Harry, Neville, Ginny and a girl named Luna, a friend of Ginny's, to talk to. The kids were enjoying themselves when suddenly a small house elf appeared right on Harry's lap. "Please, Harry Potter, get off train. You are in danger," the house elf said.

"Who are you?" Harry asked.

"Can't say, I'm not allowed but you must get off train and not go to school this year. You are in danger," the elf said.

"What kind of danger?" Hermione asked.

"Don't listen to him, he was sent by his master to trick Harry into getting off the train," Neville said.

"Dobby is not!" Dobby said and he quickly covered his mouth. Dobby started to bang his head against the wall.

"Stop," Harry said grabbing the elf and pulling him away from the wall. "Don't do that."

"Dobby must punish himself. He shouldn't be here. His master will be upset with him but he must protect Good Harry Potter. He has to leave the train," Dobby said looking sad.

The kids didn't know what to do. "I have to go to school but if you tell me the danger then I can help people," Harry said.

"Harry Potter so kind, he worries about his friends then himself," Dobby said.

"He believes this," Ron muttered.

"Ssh," Susan hissed at Ron.

Dobby looked at Harry and said, "There is great evil at Hogwarts. It is after the heirs and if he destroys them then he gets all the power of Hogwarts." Dobby then vanished leaving the kids and confused.

Harry looked at his friend and asked, "What do you think?"

"I don't know but I think I need to get to the library the first chance I get once I get to school," Hermione said eyeing Harry's trunk with a hungry look in her eyes.

Harry laughed. "Go head, maybe one of those books have the answer," Harry said.

Hermione jumped up taking down Harry's trunk gleefully as she started to go through the books that Harry had brought for her to read. Susan helped her, she too like Hermione wanted to know what was going on and why this little elf did not want Harry to go Hogwarts.

"We might want to keep our eyes open," Ginny said.

"Your right," Harry said thinking this was going to be an interesting year.

At Hogwarts, Albus sat behind his desk looking at the diary before him. It was the diary of Tom Riddle or as everyone knows him, Voldemort. Alastor had given it to him just a few days ago. Albus always knew that Tom had done something that made himself immortal. He would have died the night he attacked the Potter's other wise. There were a few dark spells and potions out there that could do this. Tom would have found at least one of them. Albus wondered if the clues were in the diary itself.

Fawkes squawked giving his master a strange look. "I know. It is dangerous. Lucius gave this to little Ginny for a reason but the answer that I have been looking for might be in it. I will be careful," Albus said and he picked up a quill and started to write in it.

Inside the diary, Voldemort was almost giddy for this was going to better then he had planned. He wanted the boy but Albus would better. He could get even with the old man that had destroyed his life. He would of course have to be careful, Albus was not going to be as easily lured in as the boy would have been, but he was Voldemort after all. He was up to the challenge.

The kids filled into the great hall everyone talking at once. Harry and his friends found a seat at Gryffindor table. Everyone was excited and upbeat but Ron. He was sulking because Dudley had beaten him in chess. It wasn't by much but it was still loss. "How?" Ron asked himself for the tenth time.

"Oh, get over it. It was one loss," Hermione snapped looking up at the table to see Gilderoy Lockhart. "Oh, he is so dreamy and smart."

"Oh, brother," George groaned.

"Yes?" Fred said laughing as the girls around them glared at both he and George.

"You two, and your games, you are just jealous," Hermione said.

"Of that?" Fred said laughing as he pointed at Lockhart. "I don't think so." Hermione huffed and sat there staring at Lockhart with a dreamy look.

Harry rolled his eyes at this. He heard stories about Lockhart from Remus and Sirius. It seems that Lockhart had gotten caught on several times stealing others work. One person he tried to steal work from was Remus and he paid for it. Sirius and Harry's father James found out about what he done and they got even. Lockhart was spotted days later a magical sign behind his back that said "Kick me, I'm a thief!" It was charmed to vanish every time a Professor or member of the staff was around but it showed up when the kids were around. Sirius said that Slytherin house 

had fun kicking the git in the butt every chance they got. He also said that Lockhart stayed away from Remus' things from that point on.

It wasn't long though before everyone got bored sitting there talking and some like Ron were getting hungry. It was then that people started to notice that the Headmaster was missing. "I wonder where Professor Dumbledore is?" Percy said.

"I don't," Harry said coldly.

"Harry, I know you don't like him but we can't start without him." Hermione said.

"Oh," Harry said realizing that he would have to see the Headmaster now and then. He just hoped he wouldn't have to deal with him personally.

Right about then the Headmaster stumbled into the room with his hair a mess and his robes disheveled. He was trying to smile but it was clear to everyone that something was wrong. "I'm sorry I'm late," Albus said in his best Grandfatherly voice. "I'm a bit under the weather. Please excuse me."

Professor Dumbledore took his usual seat after waving at Madam Pomfrey and called everyone to order. As he smoothed down his hair and beard, Professor McGonagall walked in with the first years behind her and the evening started.

Harry sat there excitedly listening to sorting hat sing his song and then one by one the first years took a seat on the stool to be sorted. Dudley was the sixth person to be sorted because he now went by the Evans name not Dursley. It took forever for the hat to decided where to place him, Harry was starting to worry that Dudley wouldn't be placed but finally the hat called out. "Gryffindor!"

"Yes," Harry said smiling as his cousin walked over smiling brightly to join the other kids at Gryffindor table.

Luna, Ginny's friend was placed in Gryffindor house, as was Ginny. The only surprise among the new members of Gryffindor house was Draco's sister Erin. After the hat placed her in Gryffindor, Draco stood up and started yelling at her calling her names of all sorts. Professor Snape got up go over to young man and take him from the room to talk to him.

"Sorry, about my brother," Erin said to the kids around him. "He has a mental illness. He gets that way sometimes. He must of forgotten to take his potions."

Ginny laughed at this. "I think we are going to be good friends," Ginny told the girl.

"Thanks," Erin said and the two girls sat there talking together getting to know each other.

Ron was watching Ginny closely giving her a dirty look. "Why is she being nice to that Slytherin?" Ron asked.

"Ron, Erin was placed in our house by the sorting hat," Hermione said.

"Big deal, she still a Slytherin," Ron said.

Hermione was about to open her month to say something on this but Albus stood and did his usual start of feast speech. The food appeared and Ron was to busy shoving food into his mouth to continue listening to Hermione. He wouldn't have listened to her anyway. So, she let the matter drop and turned her attention to meal.

Harry in the mean time was just about to dig into the bowl of mash potatoes that were in front of him when his scar suddenly started to hurt, causing him to drop the spoon, "Harry, are you alright?" Dudley asked noticing his cousin's distress.

"I think so," Harry said rubbing his scar.

"What is it?" Hermione asked.

"My scar hurts," Harry said looking up to see three of the Professors at the head table looking in his direction: Professor Snape, Professor Dumbledore and Professor Lockhart. The three men were eyeing Harry closely. Only Professor Snape looked away when Harry looked up.

"The last time when your scar bothered you this much when You-Know-Who was around," Ron said worried.

"Who?" Dudley asked thinking it was a secret that Harry's friends didn't want him to know about.

"He means Voldemort," Harry said ignoring Ron and several other people's reaction at the name. "The wizarding world is scared to say the name." Harry explained.

"Oh," Dudley said not getting the big deal. It was only a name. It wasn't like if you said the name it would cause him to appear like doing a spell would cause things. Would it?

"Let's just eat," Harry said and the meal went on.

As everyone ate, Hermione sat reading the book about wizarding gifts checking on something that had caught her attention. It was sometime during dessert that she found what she was looking for. Hermione slipped the book in front of Harry and said, "Here read this."

"Classes haven't even started," Ron complained.

Hermione ignored him as she pointed to the place that she wanted Harry to read. "Is that what you feel?" Hermione asked.

"Yes," Harry said.

"Than that could mean that you are a natural in occlumency and someone is trying to use legilimency on you," Hermione said.

"Yes, it could but I don't get what it means," Harry said.

"This book doesn't go into details about it but I'll check out the library. It should have more on it," Hermione promised.

"Thanks," Harry said and the meal soon ended.

Professor Dumbledore then stood up and gave his usual speech. He did give Ron and Harry dirty looks when he warned everyone to stay out of the forest. "Whose fault was it that we were there last year anyways?" Ron snapped noticing the cold look from the Headmaster.

"I agree," Harry muttered still rubbing his scar. It was bothering him, but it didn't hurt like it normally did. It was as though someone was slowly pecking away trying to get into his mind and not trying to burst their way in like before. It wasn't working of course and who ever was, was getting annoyed about it. Or these were the feelings Harry was getting at this very moment.

Dinner finally ended and everyone started up to there dorms. The kids were tired but excited as well. Classes were going to start tomorrow and their adventure in learning magic was about to begin.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

The next morning, Harry was up early. He wanted a good start for this term. So, he woke early and was one of the first ones downstairs for breakfast. Harry was piling eggs on his plate when Dudley arrived. "Man, this place needs to hand out maps."

"Get lost?" Harry asked.

"Once, but I know I'm going to get lost again," Dudley complained.

"Don't worry, I got lost a lot my first weeks in school. I should warn you, when you go into Transfiguration…" Harry started to say.

"Mr. Potter, that is enough," Professor McGonagall said placing Harry's timetable in front of the boy. "There are some things first years must find out for themselves," she warned the boy. She over heard the first years talking while waiting to sort them. She was learned that Harry had told his cousin on how they would be sorted. Dudley filled the others in on it. The normal fear the first years felt about what was about to happen wasn't there. She didn't know how she felt about that. No one has ever bothered to tell their children what would happen when they were sorted. They thought it was part of the charm of going to Hogwarts. Minerva personally thought they should know but because the others didn't. So, she kept her personal opinions to herself.

"Yes, Ma'am," Harry said looking at his timetable.

Dudley waited until she left and leaned in close. "What is it?" Dudley asked.

"I'm just going to say don't say too much around tabby cats around here. It has a way of getting back to Professor McGonagall," Harry said.

"Okay," Dudley said not getting it, but he would by the end of the day. He did notice the sour look on Harry's face and asked, "What is it?"

"Potions… I have potions this morning," Harry said and he looked up at the head table. Harry saw Professor Dumbledore staring at him with a sly smile on his face. 'He did this on purpose. I know it,' Harry thought to himself.

Dudley didn't comment. He had heard enough about Potions and Professor Snape over the summer to understand why his cousin was not happy. So, he left Harry alone to sulk. He had his breakfast to eat and his own classes to get to. Dudley looked at his timetable noting he had Herbology as his first class. This meant he had to go outside to the greenhouses, so he didn't have much time to waste. He ate and then went back to the dorm rooms to gather his books for the day before heading to his first class.

Harry did the same thing for another reason. He didn't want to be in the same room with Professor Dumbledore any longer then he had to be. So, he ate and left even before Ron or Hermione came down for breakfast. Harry was walking back up when he ran into his friends.

"Harry, you are going the wrong direction. Breakfast is this way," Ron said.

"I already ate and the looks Professor Dumbledore were giving me gave me a reason to leave. I'll see you two in class," Harry said as he started down the hall again. "And Ron, we have Potions first so, I'll grab your books for you."

"NO!" Ron groaned suddenly not hungry any more. Hermione just took Ron's arm guiding towards the dining hall. They didn't have much time to waste. They had to eat and get to class.

Remus was having breakfast that morning reading the documents that Petunia had given him on things that were coming up for votes at the Wizengamot. This session's term was fast coming to a close and everyone was pushing their pet projects through to get a vote on them this term. Only because in a few weeks, the Lords will start thinking about keeping or replacing people that they had given seats to. Petunia was one of them. She had to replace four members because they were Fudge supporters and she didn't want them around.

Remus didn't blame her and he had already given her a list of names of people that he felt that would be willing work with them on getting things done. He turned to the next set of documents and started to choke. "She isn't!" He snapped waking a sleeping Sirius up. He had fallen asleep at the table.

"Who isn't?" Sirius asked.

"Umbridge, you are not going to believe what she wants to do to Werewolves now!" Remus said and he handed the document over to Sirius.

Sirius read it and he went white. "She is a devil! That is inhuman." Sirius said.

"She's inhuman." Remus growled.

"We can't let her get away with this. I won't allow it. I'll start a revolt!" Sirius growled.

Umbridge's newest plan was this: she wanted to have all werewolves spayed or nurtured. She felt that they were nothing but animals that should not be allowed to mate.

Remus felt sick. "You won't have to. If this gets out the peace that I have fought long and hard to keep will be destroyed. Grayback will start a war."

"Not if we stop her," Sirius said.

"How? She has gotten the other stuff passed. Albus just ignores it and Fudge wants it. How are you going stop her?" Remus demanded. He was tired of it. He fought long and hard to make sure the others didn't start a war and here Umbridge forcing one. She made so many people's lives a living hell that they turn to men like Grayback because of it. When is it going to stop and when is the wizarding world going to realize they are human more often than wolf?

"Remus, listen to me," Sirius said. "In four days, I'll get the Black and Potter's votes back. This give a lot of power and with the restructuring coming, we can take advantage of it. First, we can promise to help people keep their seats. If that doesn't work, we can always do what my father did, which was pay them off or use a bit of blackmail. Either way won't hurt."

"Sirius, that is…" Remus started to say.

"What, do you think Lucius and the others don't do it? Remus, trust me they do, but especially Lucius. He is one of the money Lords. It gives him power yes. The problem is he forgets the Black's have more money then he does and we are seated Lords. Besides, I have my father's files," Sirius said smiling.

"What are you talking about?" Remus asked puzzled.

"Those old goats of the Wizengamot have been around since my father sat in those seats. He would keep records about their lives and their dirty little secrets for when needed them. If he wanted something passed he would remind them that he had them. As his heir, those files were turned over to me. I'm the only one that gets to them. So, what say Remus, are you up to some blackmail?" Sirius asked smirking.

Remus thought on it. He hated the idea. It was wrong. It was immoral but Sirius was right. There were men like Malfoy that did it everyday. Albus even did it to a point. Besides, if they fail… Well, Remus didn't want to think about that. "I'll do it."

"Good! We can go to the Black House and check out those files," Sirius said.

"I thought you hated that house?" Remus said.

"I do but I hate Umbridge more," Sirius said and he started to shove food into his mouth. If he had to go to his family home, he was going to go on a full stomach. It would make dealing with his mother a lot easier.

Petunia had been informed of her ex-husband's heart attack just after she had arrived home from dropping the boys off at the train station. She went to the hospital and that is where she was at the moment. She was sitting alone waiting for news on Vernon when Marge walked into the room.

"I heard you were here," Marge said as she waddled into the room.

"I'm only here because of my son," Petunia said.

"I bet you're just hoping that Vernon dies and get his life insurance money," Marge said. She like Vernon thought that Petunia was as poor as a church mouse.

"I don't want anything from Vernon. I'm here because of Dudley…" Petunia said but she was cut short by Marge's gruff laugher.

"You are here because you want my brother's money," Marge snapped.

Petunia stood up and said, "You brother is broke. He sold the house because he was so deep in debt that he had to. You forget Marge; I was married to the man. I know how free he was with those charge cards."

"Whose fault was that?" Marge snapped.

"I paid for half of it. You can check it out for yourself. So, don't start saying that it was all me."

Marge snorted. "You had to have the best and then took that boy in. I bet that cost my brother a fortune," Marge snapped.

"Hold it right there," Petunia said shoving a finger under one of the fat woman's chins. "That boy has a name and it is Harry. Vernon didn't mind having him around because we got paid from the Potter estate to keep him. He pocked that money for himself. He only spent the checks on Dudley for birthdays or at Christmas. The rest he drank away or gambled it away. It is why we were in debt most of the time. It wasn't enough for him. He never knew when to stop," Petunia snapped back.

"My bother only drinks a little," Marge said.

"Oh, please! A little to you is a gallon jug. You both are exactly alike and I'm very grateful that you are out of my life," Petunia snapped and she stormed away. She would wait for news on Vernon elsewhere because if she didn't, she would end up getting her wand snapped because she just preformed magic on a muggle.

Ron and Hermione met Harry outside the potion classroom. The three of them went in together and found a place to sit. It didn't take long for the room to fill up with the Gryffindor students sitting on one side and the Slytherin students on the other.

Harry was bracing himself for Snape's arrival. He knew the moment the man walked into the room the insults would start, or that is what Harry assumed would happen. He was wrong. Professor Snape walked into the room closed the door and said, "Quite, put your summer assignments on the table in front of you then start working on this potion," Snape said waving his wand and writing on the chalk board appeared. "You have two hours to get this done."

Snape then waved his wand collecting the assignments and went to his desk. He sat down and started to grade the papers while the kids worked. Harry was shocked because he ignored him. What had happened? If Harry had asked, and if Snape had trusted him to tell him the truth, he would found out that last year was Albus doing. Severus wasn't given an order on what to do about Harry this year so, he was treating him like any other student, or any student from houses other then his own. It was one of Harry's best potion lessons ever.

Up in the headmaster's office, Albus Dumbledore was in a battle for his very soul and didn't know it. Voldemort had studied the headmaster from the time he first met him until now. He knew going after him head on would only alert him to trouble. So, he did the opposite. He sat back and lured Albus to where he wanted him to be.

This was done by filling Albus Dumbledore with worthless information about Tom Riddle's life. He started at his childhood and worked his way through the years. It was very detailed about what he told him. Albus had been up all night reading the diary. He was so tired and worn out that his defenses were down. He wasn't ready for what Voldemort was about to do.

Oh, he didn't go after the protect thoughts of Dumbledore, those he saved for later. He built a room inside Albus head that matched the Headmaster's office. He got every detail down including Fawkes. The reason he did this was he knew Albus would loose himself in his work to the point that if no one bothered or disturbed him he wouldn't be aware of the world passing by. Once he had Albus inside the room, he would lock him in. Then and only then would he start breaking into the places Albus didn't want him. He would have total control over the Headmaster within a month.

Sadly, the only one that noticed was Fawkes himself. He had tried several times to get Albus' attention to warn him of the danger but the old man ignored him. He now sat on his perch slowly watching Albus vanish and Voldemort appear. A lone tear appeared in bird's eye and then 

with a flash he vanished. He would go into the castle to watch and wait, wait for the time for another master's arrival.

After the first day of classes, Harry walked into the Gryffindor common room to find Dudley sitting alone with a letter in his hand. Harry walked up to his cousin and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Dad had a heart attack. Mum says that he is okay but she doesn't know much more than that. He got worked up when he realized that she was there so she had to leave. She promised me that she would keep me informed," Dudley said sadly.

"Sorry," Harry said not really knowing what to say. He didn't like his uncle. He didn't want him to die but he couldn't bring himself to worry about him either.

"That is okay, Harry. Dad never gave you a reason to care about him I know that. I don't care much myself but he is my father. I can't just write him off," Dudley said.

"As easy as he wrote you off," Harry said taking a seat in the chair across from his cousin.

"Yeah, as easy as that," Dudley said sadly.

Harry figured his cousin needed a distraction. So, he grabbed a deck of exploding snap cards and said, "What to play a hand?"

"Sure," Dudley said and together they sat there playing cards and talking about their day. It helped Dudley forget about the situation with his father.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

It was Saturday and it was raining so, the kids were staying inside either catching up with their homework or playing games when Hermione arrived in the common room after spending a day in the library with Professor McGonagall at her side. "Harry, I need your help!" Hermione said walking up to the table.

"Sure what is it?" Harry said noticing the stern look on Professor McGonagall's face.

"Please, tell Professor McGonagall that this is your book," Hermione pleaded close to tears.

Harry looked at the book and noticed it was one of the books from the Ravenclaw Library. "It is. Why? What is wrong?" Harry said.

"So, you brought with you books from the Ravenclaw library?" Professor McGonagall asked her face softening just a bit.

"Yes, I did. Why?" Harry asked confused not understanding the problem.

Minerva sighed. "You do know Mr. Potter that these books are kept in the restricted section of the library," Professor McGonagall said.

"Here, yes, but I have access to them at home any time I want. Aunt Petunia knew I took them. She even said it was okay. I lent them to Hermione because she likes to read," Harry said.

"Um, yes… Well," Minerva said not sure what to do. She would have asked the Headmaster but he seemed out of touch right now and this left her to run the school as she saw fit. She didn't see any trouble with the books and since they were not school property she couldn't say whom Harry loaned them to. "Alright, but please Mrs. Granger, that is a very old book and I want to remember that it is they are not yours. Understand."

"Yes, ma'am and will you tell Madam Pince that I'm sorry that I upset her. I would have never taken the book into the library if I had known she would have gotten that upset," Hermione said.

"It is alright, Ms. Granger. Madam Pince is just a bit over protective of books in her care. I'm sure she will understand once I explain things to her," Professor McGonagall said and she left the kids alone.

Hermione sat down sighing shaking her head. "She got that worked up over a book."

"What?" Ginny asked looking up from her Transfiguration homework.

"I was sitting in the library comparing what I found in this book to the ones there. When Madam Pierce stormed over to me starting yelling, she accused me of stealing this book from the restricted section. Professor McGonagall showed up and demanded to know what was going on. I explained to both of them that I got the book from Harry but Madam Pince didn't believe me. It is why Professor McGonagall came here to ask Harry about things. She wanted to make sure that I was telling the truth," Hermione said still a bit upset about the entire mess.

"It is okay, Hermione. It is over with. I'm sure Madam Pince didn't mean to insult you. She was just doing her job," Harry said.

"Yes, your right," Hermione said.

Erin was curious at what Hermione had found and decided to ask. "So, what were you looking up anyways, that is if you don't mind me asking?"

Harry, Hermione and Ginny all looked at each other wondering if they could trust the new girl. Harry looked at Ginny and asked, "Do you think we can tell her?"

"Sure, why not. She isn't anything like her brother," Ginny said.

"Okay," Harry said and he explained to Erin about the events on the train. When Harry said the name of the house elf, the girl went white. "You know that name?" Harry asked.

Erin nodded. "It is my father's house elf. He is very strange creature. He isn't like other elves. He doesn't listen too well. I over heard mother and father fighting about him once when I was younger, I think my father took him from someone when he was a baby. He was never properly bound to him," Erin said. She knew this could get her father into trouble but it was the truth and she didn't lie to her new friends.

"That makes sense as to why he warned you," Ginny said.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked.

"House elves can't do anything without their master permission but if Mr. Malfoy stole him. Dobby is not really his house elf. He just works for him because it is all he knows," Ginny said.

"That is wrong," Hermione said.

"Yes, but we can't tell anyone. I have to live with him," Erin said griming at what her father would do to her if he found out that she had told. He was threatening not to allow her to live at home any more because she had been placed in Gryffindor.

Harry understood what she was talking about and said, "We won't say anything but thank you for telling us. We at least now know where Dobby comes from."

"Thanks," Erin said relieved. Her relationship with her father was tense on the best of terms. He would kill her if he found out that she had let it slip that Dobby was not there house elf. "So what did you find in the books?"

"Oh," Hermione said pulling opening the book to the page that she had marked. "I found out that when Slytherin left Hogwarts. He put curse on it. The only way it can be broke is when the four heirs of Hogwarts meet up together here on the grounds. It says here when it does happen they will battle for the school, if Slytherin heir wins, he will gain all the power of the school and become unstoppable. If the others win, the curse will be broken and the school will show its true form."

"Great," Harry said looking sick.

"What is wrong?" Erin said.

"Harry is the heir of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw," Ginny said.

"Well, I'm more Gryffindor's heir then Ravenclaw's. Dudley became that when he became Lord Evans," Harry said.

"That leaves Hufflepuff's and Slytherin's heirs, I wonder who they are?" Hermione asked.

"I bet Slytherin's heir is Draco," Ron said from behind Harry.

"You will loose that bet," Erin said. "Malfoy family is related to the Lucard family. They are from France and my mother is a Black. I don't think they are related to Slytherin."

"No, I asked," Harry said.

"Why would you ask that?" Ron said.

"Because his Godfather is Lord Black," Hermione snapped.

"Oh," Ron said.

"Well, then how do we find out who the other to Heirs are?" Ron asked.

"We could look at the family blood line books in the library," Erin said.

"Those things are a massive. It would take us weeks to go through them," Ron complained.

"Do you have a better idea?" Erin demanded. Ron didn't. So, the kids decided take turns looking for two missing heirs. Until then, Hermione would keep looking for more information the curse and how to break it.

Sirius walked into the lounge area to find Remus sitting in a rickety old chair at his desk behind a massive pile of papers. Sirius smiled a mischievous smile on his face; he pulled out his wand and vanishing the papers in front of Remus. "Sirius!" Remus yelled turning around glaring at his friend. "I am working here."

"All work and no play, makes Remus a dull wolf! So, let's go out and find some chicks," Sirius said.

"I have work to do. The vote is coming up and I want to make sure we didn't miss anything," Remus said.

"We didn't. Lucius is even going to vote for our side," Sirius said smiling happily.

"How did you manage that one?" Remus asked.

"I talked to Andi. Andi talked to Cissy and Cissy talked to her husband," Sirius said.

"Meaning, Andi has something on her sister and her sister has something on Lucius," Remus translated.

"Yep, but don't ask me what it is. I didn't ask," Sirius said.

"I won't and I'm not going. I have things to do," Remus said.

"Coward!" Sirius said dropping down in the old beat up chair in Remus' lounge draping his legs over the arm of it.

"I'm not a coward. I just don't want to waste my time sitting at a bar," Remus said.

"Please! I'm board. I have been cooped up for ten years. I need to get out and have fun," Sirius begged.

Remus looked at his friend and sighed. "I'll go only to keep splintching yourself because you had too much to drink," Remus said.

"I haven't done that for over ten years now," Sirius said indignity.

"Sirius, you been in prison over ten years," Remus pointed out.

"Oh, right. Oh, well that's life," Sirius said. Remus shook his head and went to get changed. He wouldn't have gotten any work done anyways. Sirius would have bugged him all 

night if he didn't go out. So, he might get it over with and do what his friend asked. He would work on it tomorrow when Sirius was sleeping off his hangover.

Albus was in trouble. He knew it. He just didn't know how to get out of it. He was standing in front a wall where his door should be. He checked over for the tenth time and found no way out. There were no windows in his office now and the fireplace had vanished. What was worse? He had no wand. It wasn't until he looked at a painting the wall that wasn't there before that he realized where he was. The painting was of Voldemort and he was laughing at him. "Figure it out yet?" Voldemort asked.

"Tom, please listen to me," Albus started to speak.

"No, you listen to me. First, I'm in charge. They don't miss you old man. No one is going to save you. Even that bird of yours has left. You have lost! I'm in charge. The school is mine and soon the heirs will be dead," Voldemort snapped.

"Heirs?" Albus said confused. "Don't you mean just Harry?"

Voldemort started to laugh. "The great Albus Dumbledore doesn't know what is going on? I haven't hidden anything I have done. I have hunted them all down one by one. There are only three left or three that matter. If they die then the bloodlines die with them. Once that happens, I will control Hogwarts forever. I will be unstoppable!"

Albus suddenly remember an old story that he was once told. He always assumed it was just a story but now he realizes it wasn't. Voldemort was not only trying Harry that night. He had gone after the last known heirs. If he finishes what he had started that Halloween Night, then… "Oh, Tom. NO!"

Voldemort just laughed and said, "Yes, I win and everyone looses. What is the best part? They will think you did it." The man in the painting vanished leaving Albus Dumbledore alone trapped in his own mind unable to get out.

Harry was coming back from Quidditch practice with rain dripping off him. He had stopped by the door to wipe his feet and remove all the mud from his shoes. So, he was alone and not walking with the team. Harry was on the second floor when suddenly a pair of beefy arms grabbed him around the neck and started to choke him. "Isn't it Lord Potter," Goyle said spittle getting all over Harry's face.

"Hey! Beat me up but don't spit on me," Harry complained trying to fight free.

"Shut up!" Crabbe said walking up on the other side of the boy. "You walk around here like you own the place. We think it is time to teach you a lesson."

"You two think this up by yourself is Draco hiding somewhere scared to come out," Harry said fighting to get free.

"We can do things without Draco's permission," Goyle said.

"Beside he has detention with Filch tonight because Professor McGonagall caught him putting his sister right for being put in the wrong house," Crabbe said.

"Yeah, I bet he did," Harry said almost getting free but Goyle tightened his hold on Harry again almost cutting his air off.

It was at this moment out of nowhere; Dudley walked up grabbed Crabbe and Goyle's heads and slammed them together. The two bullies dropped to the floor like rocks. Harry jumped to his feet rubbing his throat as Dudley said, "No, one bullies my cousin but me and since I don't do it any more. Neither can anyone else," Dudley said standing over the two beefy boys.

Crabbe and Goyle pulled themselves to their feet but before they could do anything Professor McGonagall, Filch and Draco appeared around the corner. "What is going on here?" Professor McGonagall said giving the kids a stern look.

"They jumped us!" Crabbe and Goyle said together pointing at Harry and Dudley.

"Us?" Harry said shocked. "You two were the ones that jumped me!" Harry said.

Professor McGonagall stood there looking down at the two boys thin lipped. "Is this true?" Professor McGonagall demanded.

"Uh…well…you see," Crabbe started to stutter.

"Yes, I see," Professor McGonagall said sternly and thought about things. "Mr. Crabbe and Goyle, you two have detention with Mr. Filch for two weeks for attacking another student. I'm sorry Mr. Evans but fighting for any reason is against the school rules. So, you will have detention with Mr. Filch for three nights."

"That's not fair!" Crabbe and Goyle yelled. "He hit us!"

"And you attacked his cousin, he wouldn't have had to hit you other wise," Professor McGonagall shot back. "Now, get back to your dorms and you loose 50 points each from Slytherin house as well." The boys grumbled but walked away. The might not be the smartest members of Slytherin house but they were smart enough to know when to be quiet especially when dealing with Professor McGonagall.

Minerva was just about to send Harry and Dudley back to their dorms when Draco spoke up. "Potter, thank you for making more work for me," Draco complained.

Mr. Flitch looked down to see only a few wet footprints left by Harry. "Professor McGonagall, do you see what I have to deal with. These kids have no respect on how hard I have to work," Filch complained. "You promised the next time I caught one of the…."

"Mr. Filch, I know what I promised," Professor McGonagall said cutting the man off before he could finish. She had enough him for one night. Sadly, she had promised and if she didn't punish Harry for this minor violation. She couldn't end of it from the man. "I'm sorry, Mr. Potter but I have to give you detention. Since Mr. Filch has enough to deal with it must be with one of the other Professors. Minerva pulled out a small piece of parchment with the list of professors on it. It magically shows her who is able to observe for detention. She made a face as she looked at the list and said regretfully. "Professor Lockhart."

"No, that not that git," Harry complained.

Professor McGonagall did not correct Harry on that because she agreed with him. "I'm sorry but you have detention with him tomorrow. Now, off to bed," She said to Harry and Dudley.

"Yes, Professor," The boys said and they walked way heading towards Gryffindor common room.

Before leaving, Minerva said to Draco. "I want this floor clean, Mr. Malfoy," she said smiling at him.

"Yes, Professor," Draco said and he went to work cleaning up Harry's wet footprints grumbling the entire time.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

The next day after breakfast, Hermione dragged everyone, including Ron, into the library to start looking for heirs of Slytherin and Hufflepuff. They were there for about an hour when Susan and Neville walked up. "There you guys are. What are you looking for?" Susan asked.

"The heirs of Slytherin and Hufflepuff," Hermione answered and she told them of what she found about the 'Legend of the Heirs' Susan and Neville agreed to help and joined in the search.

It was Dudley that found the Heir of Slytherin. "I found it!" he said and read these details to Harry and the others.

Tom Marvolo Riddle was born January 1st 1926 to Merope Gaunt (Slytherin descendent) and Tom Riddle Sr. (muggle). Mother died January 1st 1926. Father died July 1944. Tom Riddle was raised in an Orphanage until he started Hogwarts in 1938. He was sorted in Slytherin and was Perfect, Head Boy and Awarded Special Serves Award in his fifth year 1942-1943…

"That is it," Dudley said after reading it.

"That doesn't make sense," Susan said confused. "The others have pages and pages about them in these books. Why doesn't Riddle have more written about him?"

"Yes, and are we sure he is the heir?" Ron asked.

"There aren't any more names in the Slytherin section." Harry said.

The kids were puzzled but put the book away for now. They still had to find the Heir of Hufflepuff and those books hadn't been looked through yet. The kids kept on digging going through book after book of every pure blood family known to wizarding world. They finally found the name Hufflepuff in one of the books and then followed the long list of heirs until they got to the bottom. Neville sat in his chair, jaw open and eyes opened wide. There right in front of him was his name. "But…" He said.

"Didn't you know?" Harry asked.

"Gram said there were other Lord seats that I would control and said she would tell me about them when I was older but I never knew," Neville said not really knowing what to say. This was a big shock to him and it was taking a bit to get it all in.

"Doesn't it seem strange that all the heirs ended up in Gryffindor?" Hermione asked.

"I bet the other heir is in Gryffindor as well." Ron said giving Erin a dirty look.

"I told you. We are not related to Slytherin," Erin snapped.

"That is what you say, what if the reason why we can't find any thing more about Riddle is because he changed his name," Ron snapped.

"It wouldn't matter. The book would still have his kids' names in here under their new name. No, Tom Riddle never had children," Hermione said.

"But he could have changed his name," Susan said.

"Yes, but to what? And why doesn't the book make note of it. I thought no matter what these magical books would record everything there is to know about a wizard's life," Harry said.

"They do. So, there has to be reason why it didn't record anything," Hermione said puzzled on why it didn't.

"I don't care. Let's go outside and play Quidditch," Ron said pulling on Harry's arm.

"Okay, we need a break from this anyway," Harry said getting up to leave. Harry noticed Professor Dumbledore standing in shadows of the bookcases watching them. Harry just rolled his eyes. 'Planning to play with my life again?' Harry thought to himself as he left with Ron.

Petunia was outside tending to the rose garden getting things ready for the winter. She could have let the house elves to tend to this work, but she loved to garden. It was relaxing for her and she got great joy watching plants grow.

She was pulling weeds from around one of the rose bushes when a male voice called from the fence. "Lady Evans, may I have a word with you?"

Petunia turned to see a tall man with ruddy face and a scrubby brown beard. He was dressed in formal tweed robes. He looked nervous and a bit out of place in this kind of neighborhood. "Of course, you may enter," Petunia said standing and wiping her hands on garden clothes.

"Thank you," the man said as the gates magically opened for him. "I'm Amos Diggory. I work for the Regulations and Control of Magical Creatures. I'm a friend of Arthur Weasley."

"Well, nice to meet you Mr. Diggory. I hope you forgive my appearance. I was doing a bit of yard work," Petunia said as she guided small stone table near. It was magically set up for guests. Petunia smiled at this, thinking the elves are ahead of her.

"No, it is I who am sorry. I just have sent a card informing you of my arrival but I was in the neighborhood and figured I would stop by," Amos said stammering a bit.

"I hope you don't think ill of me but to why do you want to talk to me?" Petunia asked getting to the point. She did not have time today to waste on Mr. Diggory. She wanted to get gardening done before having a late night with Remus to talk about the vote that was coming up tomorrow.

"Yes, the point. I was talking to Arthur yesterday and he told me that you are looking for someone to fill a Lord seat. He said that you need an honest man. I was hoping…" Amos said but stopped talking.

"I see," Petunia said finally understanding what this man wanted from her. "Tell me, Mr. Diggory, what makes you an honest man?" Amos gulped and communicated his situation and family life. Petunia even asked how he voted over the past few elections and asked him on what he thought should be done in the Ministry to change things. When he was done talking she said, "I'm impressed but I must ask a few people I know about you, just to check some facts. I promise by the end of this week you shall hear from me, if you haven't lied to me about anything you have told me."

"Thank you and I give my word. I did not lie to you," Amos said. He said goodbye then and left.

Petunia went back to her gardening thinking about the man she just met. He obviously wanted to improve his life and she was a way of doing it. The trouble she had was finding people she could trust. Those were hard to find but she felt maybe Amos was one of those men. She just needed to make sure by talking to Arthur and Remus about him.

Harry and Ron were flying around. Harry noticed that Ron wasn't talking. "What's wrong?" Harry asked his friend.

"I don't know why we let Malfoy's sister hang around us all the time. I don't trust her," Ron said.

Harry stopped flying and hovered in mid air and asked, "Why? Because she comes from a family that was always placed in Slytherin?"

"Yes, that is where she belongs," Ron said not thinking.

Harry's face went hard. "Ron, you do know thinking like that got my Godfather put in prison without a trial." Harry snapped.

"I…" Ron started to speak but Harry cut him off.

"What about Peter? He was the same house my father and he betrayed my parents. Houses don't make people evil. It is how they chose to live their life. I think you start giving Erin a break and maybe rethinking about how judge people," Harry snapped and with that he flew away flying as far away from Ron as he could get.

The twins flew up beside their brother and George said, "He told you."

"Oh, shut up," Ron snapped.

"What is wrong little brother, Harry hit a cord?" Fred asked.

"Fred, you know what Ronnie's problem is. Harry was right but he is too much like Mollykins to admit it," George said.

"I'm not like Mum!" Ron yelled.

"He yells like her too," Fred said and the pair flies away as well leaving Ron there to sulk.

Later Harry was walking back to the Gryffindor common room when Ron walked up behind him. "I'm sorry," Ron said sheepishly. "You are right. I should give Erin a chance."

"What made you realize that?" Harry asked not bothering to stop walking.

"You gave me one," Ron said meekly.

Harry smiled. "I don't judge you by what you have or don't have. I think that if you start doing that to others, you might find more friends that way," Harry said smiling.

"I'll work on it," Ron said and the boys walked back to the common room together, telling jokes or picking on the other one for saying one thing wrong but laughing when the other did it as well. Ron found out something that day and that was a good friend told you as it is, not as you want it to be.

It was finally time for Harry to serve his detention with Professor Lockhart. He was leaving common room when he ran into Colin Creevey, a first year that loved following Harry around with his camera. He did that is until Dudley pointed out, as nicely as he could, about how it made Harry feel having a camera shoved in his face all the time. Colin had finally stopped and even joined Ginny, Dudley and Erin at the table with Harry. Harry found out that the boy wasn't that bad as long as he didn't have his camera with him all the time.

"Sorry, Colin," Harry said helping the boy up from the ground.

"It is okay Harry. Where are you going in such a hurry?" Colin asked.

"I have detention with Professor Lockhart. I don't want to be late or I'll have to spend more time with the man then I have too," Harry said and he rushed off leaving Colin behind. Colin had this very sad and worried look on his face. He walked to empty table and sat down to think.

He was sitting there for two hours when finally Ginny and Erin sat down at the table with him. "What is wrong Colin?" Ginny asked.

"What?" Colin asked looking around seeing the others for the first time.

"I asked what is wrong. You seem worried about something?" Ginny asked again.

Colin sighed debating if he should say something. Then he found the courage inside him and said, "I'm worried about Harry."

"Why he just had detention? It isn't that bad Colin. I promise and with Lockhart it shouldn't be that bad," Ginny said.

"It is because it is with Lockhart that I'm worried," Colin said and he told the girls something he hadn't told anyone since it happened.

Ginny's face went red. She grabbed by the arm and said, "Come on, we are going to find Professor McGonagall. **Now!"** Ginny pulled poor Colin from the common room with Erin running to keep up. She wasn't happy either but she was shocked that Ginny could move as fast as she was moving with Colin dragging behind her.

Harry was bored. He was copying a form letter that Lockhart sent to all his fans. Harry was close to getting ill just thinking about what it said. It was pure dribble and Harry stopped trying paying attention to what he was writing 50 copies ago.

Lockhart wasn't paying attention either. He was talking to Harry about fame and the troubles that came with it. "We are a lot like, you know that Harry? Our fame keeps us for meeting people. They always want something from us," Lockhart said.

"Yeah, sure," Harry said not really listening to him. He was looking at the clock. 'Two more hours', Harry thought feeling like time has frozen on him.

Suddenly a pain shot through Harry's hand and he winced rubbing his fingers. "Oh, let me. I'm expert getting rid of writers cramp," Lockhart said grabbing Harry's hand slipping closer to the boy.

Harry tried to pull his hand back but Lockhart refused to let go. He rubbed Harry's fingers then slowly moved his way up the boys arm as he said, "It is hard to find someone…"

This is when the light bulb went on in Harry's brain. He finally figured out what Lockhart wanted with him. "Hey, I don't think so," Harry said trying pull free but Lockhart had locked on to him.

"Harry, calm down, I will not hurt you," Lockhart said leaning forward to give Harry a kiss.

Suddenly, Fawkes flashed into the room his claws open wide as he flew over Lockhart scarping Lockhart's face. "No! My hair," Lockhart cried out as he dived under the table trying to get away from angry bird.

Before Fawkes could attack again the door opened and there stood a very angry Professor McGonagall. She stood just inside the door with Colin, Ginny and Erin trying to see from behind her with her wand gripped loosely in her hand at her side. She took one look at Harry on the floor with a shocked look on his face and Lockhart under the table bleeding from scratches and her wand went up in seconds. "How dare you!" Minerva yelled. "You are a Professor and you put in charge of these children's well fair. How dare you take advantage of that!" she yelled.

"I…I…I…" Lockhart stammered. He didn't know who scared him more at the time, Professor McGonagall or the bird.

Fawkes had landed on Harry's leg his feathers a bit out place as he sat there glaring at the Professor. Colin and the girls rushed over to Harry and asked, "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. How did you know?" Harry asked.

"He tried it with me but I got away. I also heard from some of the others that I wasn't alone. I knew how he watched you. I was worried that you were next," Colin said sadly.

"Thanks," Harry said to his friend's and to Fawkes as he petted the bird. Fawkes started to calm down and he cooed as Harry ran his hand over his head.

Fawkes song must have calmed Minerva down enough that she was thinking more clearly. She pointed her wand at Lockhart and ordered, "UP!"

"Professor McGonagall, I think you are making a bit mistake," Lockhart said getting to his feet.

"Children follow me, it is time Albus did something other than hiding out in his office," Minerva said harshly ignoring Lockhart's pleas. She pointed to the door with her wand and said to the man. "Move!" Lockhart opened his mouth to reply but with one look in her eyes. He quickly closed his mouth and started to walk accepting his fate.

The members of the Wizengamot sat in their seats listening as Delores pleaded her case about the new law she wanted passed. She had heard the others talking about how Petunia was against the law. She had tried to convince the woman on her point of view of things but sadly it wasn't happening. Delores felt that it was wolf's doing. He had turned Petunia against her. It was up to Delores to make Lady Evens to see things the right way-her way.

It hadn't worked. The only thing Delores had managed to do was get Petunia to wish she could get rid of the woman at that moment. She was driving her crazy. She would owl daily filling her in one what she thought should be done.

These letters of course gave Petunia a very good idea on who ran the ministry. Fudge was a puppet. It depended on who was around him at the time on who was pulling the strings. It was either Albus, Lucius Malfoy or Umbridge and those were the ones Petunia knew about. There could be more and no one knew it. Sadly, there was nothing that could be done about Fudge until some time next year. It was then that someone could challenge him to be the next Minister of Magic.

Until then they had the restructuring coming up. She had several names of people wanting a chance to be a member of the Wizengamot. She also had several seated members pleading their cases about keeping their seats. She knew several she would keep but a few had to go. The ones that Fudge placed into position were those that she would remove first. She couldn't risk keeping people like them around her.

Finally, Delores stopped talking and took her seat. "I think it is time to vote," Fudge said speaking for Albus Dumbledore's spot. He even managed to convince the old man he could control his votes while was dealing with issues of the school. Petunia couldn't help but wonder how he managed that one. "Those for it…" Fudge waited but sadly only a few did raise their 

hands. Umbridge looked depressed. "Against…" The rest of the room's hands went up. "The against have it." Fudge said looking at Umbridge with 'I'm sorry' look on his face.

"What a mistake," Umbridge said sadly as she stood up and walked from the room.

Sirius just glared after her. "I really hate that woman," he said.

"You and me both," Petunia said. It was a full moon that night and she knew Remus was locked up at Potter Estate. "Are you going see Remus?" Petunia asked.

"Yes, I need to get going. I want to tell Moony how it went," Sirius said smiling and he took off. He couldn't wait to run around the house running after Moony like the old days. The house elves would make sure neither left. This would first full moon together. They had waited until Sirius was 100 before spending a full moon together. They make sure that he was able to deal with the power of werewolf.

Petunia nodded and said goodnight to Sirius. She was getting ready leave when Madam Bones walked up to her a bit worked up. "Petunia, good you haven't left yet. We just got word from the school. There seems to be something going on with Harry," Bones said.

"Now, what," Petunia said thinking of Harry's first year at Hogwarts.

Delores Umbridge appeared just outside her home on the outskirts of London. She was very upset for her plans didn't work. As she walked into her home, she heard the howling. She sighed at this. "I hate full moons," she said to no one. Delores Umbridge had a secret. She was caretaker for her sister the werewolf. No knew about it for the family had covered up her sister's problem. It was because of her sister Delores was unable to marry. She couldn't let anyone know about her. So, she was forced to live a life alone. This was why she had this personal hate for werewolves because for her they were nothing but trouble. Delores went inside to her private sitting room and ordered tea from her house elf. She sat with a cat on her lap and music blasting around her to block out the ungodly, inhuman cries.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

_**Moments before the ending session of the Wizengamot**_

_The real Professor Dumbledore was tired. He had tried many times to get free from Riddle's control but he couldn't for he wasn't fighting for control of his mind from one person. He was fighting two spirits. He didn't know who this second spirit was but he did know he was the one that created Voldemort. He was the one in control. Albus was trying to talk to Tom. He wanted to convince the boy he once knew that the path he was on could be changed. He wasn't able to do it yet but he was working on it. Until then, he was forced to watch Voldemort run his school. He knew Fawkes was gone. He had hoped this would tell the others that something was wrong and maybe they could do something for him. The trouble was would they believe it wasn't his doing. He had made so many wrong choices over the last few years. He even now realized that this alone could have been seen as start towards the path of darkness. So, he knew that maybe this fight with Voldemort was his own fight and that if he was going survive. It was going to be up to him… _

"I warned you when you hired him. I told you he hadn't changed since he was in school here. You and your "give them a chance." The trouble is all you do sit up and let things happen. You don't try and make a difference. He now attacked a Lord. You know that that means don't you?" Minerva snapped.

"Calm down, Professor McGonagall," Voldemort said in his best Albus Dumbledore voice. "We will clear this mess up."

"You better," Minerva snapped.

_'Watch it woman, you might be the first one I get rid of,_' Voldemort thought fighting to keep his control.

Harry saw Albus eyes flash red for one moment then it was gone. 'What was that?' Harry asked himself. _Trouble! _Harry rubbed his head wondering where that voice had come from. It wasn't first time he had heard it. The last time was when first heard Remus name brought up. Harry was starting to wonder if there was more to the voice then he thought.

Harry thought about this as he as Professor McGonagall talked Professor Dumbledore into contacting the Ministry. Once he did it did not take long for the room to fill up not only with members of the Ministry but Harry's Aunt Petunia as well. The moment Petunia stepped from fireplace she rushed to Harry's side. "Are you alright?" Petunia asked bending down low to look Harry over.

"I'm fine," Harry said squirming over her inspection. He wasn't used to his Aunt mothering on him like this. It was a bit unnerving to him. In fact, this bothered him more then what Lockhart did for some reason.

Petunia stood up and turned on Lockhart. "How dare you!" she snapped at the man. "He is just a boy. You should be shamed of yourself."

Lockhart backed up hiding behind the two Aurors. He knew he was in trouble. The word Azkaban had been brought up several times. This had caused him to wet himself and he was now standing there with a wet spot in his robes.

At this moment though, Fudge and Professor Dumbledore were having a private conversation with Mr. Malfoy. Fudge was talking about having Albus removed for good. "Do you mind Minister? I need a private word with Lucius here," Albus said smiling his eyes twinkling.

Fudge and Malfoy were confused but did what the man asked. Fudge moved away heading over to talk to Petunia to reassure here that is was going to be taken care of quietly. Meanwhile, Voldemort looked right into Malfoy's eyes and said under his breath, "You keep me here."

At first Malfoy missed the blazing red eyes, but when his mark started to burn he realized what was going on. "My Lord?" He said in low voice his eyes wide in shock and fear.

"Yes, you fool. Now, talk that man into letting Albus stay," Voldemort said still in low voice but his meaning was clear. 'Mess this up and you will suffer!'

The only people that noticed that conversation were the kids. The adults in the room were to busy yelling at each other to notice much of anything. Ginny and Harry looked at each other both with confused looks on their face. The confusion grew because right after that conversation Lucius Malfoy talked everyone into give Dumbledore another chance. Erin thought her father had lost it because as far as she knew he hated the professor. She couldn't figure out why he was not taking advantage of things and getting rid of him.

Finally after an hour after curfew the mess that Professor Lockhart created was reasonably cleaned up. Aurors had handcuffed him and took him through the floo back to Ministry to wait to stand trial.

Petunia went with Minerva to take the kids back to the dorm. She wanted see Dudley and talk to Harry a bit more. She wasn't ready to believe that he was okay. She knew he hadn't been harmed. She thankful for that but still bothered that it had happened.

Harry assumed that Fawkes would stay Professor Dumbledore but he didn't. He didn't leave Harry's side not matter what Harry did to get rid of him. Professor Dumbledore was 

talking to Mr. Malfoy and Minister Fudge to notice. So, Harry took Fawkes with him back to the dorm.

Halfway back to the dorm, Minerva and Petunia noticed the phoenix. "What is this?" Petunia asked Harry.

"I don't know. I can't get rid of him," Harry said.

"Fawkes has done what he wanted. He could be hanging around until he is sure you are okay," Minerva said.

"If the Headmaster won't mind," Petunia said.

"Fawkes is belongs to Hogwarts not Albus," Minerva said sadly. She knew something had to be wrong for Fawkes to leave Albus side but she didn't tell the children this. It wasn't their concern.

It was the truth. Fawkes was not truly Dumbledore's phoenix. He was used to belong to Godric Gryffindor. He would leave now and then during the years to find a wizard that had good heart and stay with them. These were the times when the Headmaster of Hogwarts could not be considered light. The other times he stayed in the Headmaster's office on his old perch as he did when Godric was alive.

Harry didn't think Fawkes was just worried about him. He had this feeling that Fawkes no longer wanted to stay with Professor Dumbledore. He wanted to stay with him.

Harry woke up the next morning to find Fawkes asleep on top of his dresser. The other boys in the room were staring at the bird in fascination. "Where did he come from?" Ron asked.

"This is Fawkes. He is Professor Dumbledore's phoenix," Harry explained.

"Why is he here?" Neville asked.

Harry sighed. He didn't want to tell them but he had feeling that the school would soon know what Lockhart had done anyways. So, he did. When he was done all the boys were ready to find Lockhart and hurt him. "That's sick," Ron said.

"What did Professor Dumbledore do?" Neville asked.

"He contacted the Ministry and they arrested Lockhart. I think there is going to be a trial but who knows. It will depend on if he confesses or not," Harry said.

"Do you know if anyone else was hurt? I mean more then what you just told us?" Ron asked.

"No, I think Professor McGonagall is going to question everyone separately to see if there any others that he tried to do something too. I'm just hoping he was stopped in time and no one here was hurt," Harry said.

"Same here," Neville said.

"What are you going to do about, him?" Ron asked pointing the sleeping bird.

"I don't know. I still haven't figured out why he is with me. I have to talk to Hermione about a few things," Harry said and the boys got dressed and went down for breakfast. Before Harry left, he left a few of Hedwig's owl treats for Fawkes and a small dish of water. He didn't know when the bird last ate or if owl treats were enough for him. It was all he had. So, this was the best he could do until he talked to Hermione.

Hermione had found Harry not the other way around. He was sitting at the Gryffindor table having breakfast trying to ignore the pitiful looks that he was getting from kids around him. When Hermione dropped down next to Harry and gave him a huge hug. "Oh, Harry, I'm sorry. I just heard," Hermione cried.

Harry started to choke not only because Hermione was cutting his air supply off but because of her hair. He had mouthful of it. "Hermione," Harry choked out. "I can't breath!"

The kids around them laughed and Fred finally came to Harry's rescue and said, "Hermione, Harry's turning blue!"

"Oh! I'm sorry," Hermione said suddenly letting go.

"It is okay. What did you hear?" Harry asked puzzled. Hermione blushed. Harry knew right then that it had something to do with Lockhart. "Before you say it, the only happened is that git grabbed my hand. Fawkes and Professor McGonagall burst in before he could do anything else." Harry told her.

"Oh, that is good," Hermione said relaxing. "I'm glad that it wasn't worse."

"Yeah, and I don't want to think about what you heard," Harry said. Hermione didn't comment. She didn't think about it either but since over heard it. She couldn't get it out of her mind. Harry must have realized it. So, he decided to give her something else to think about. "Hermione, I need your help. Last night in Professor Dumbledore's office…

Harry was cut off by Professor Dumbledore standing up and demanding everyone's attention. "Quiet! Calm down everyone!" Albus said in a demanding voice.

The kids stopped talking and stared at the headmaster in puzzlement. The professors were looking at him as well. They were all thing the same thing. 'What was wrong with him? This was not the Professor Dumbledore they knew.'

The Headmaster ignored the looks and went on with his speech. "Last night Professor Lockhart was arrested for crimes against a student. If there is anyone out there that can add to his case, please contact your Head of House or Professor McGonagall. Also, from this point on I will be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts until another Professor is found. Thank you," Albus said in a firm and forceful voice and he sat down.

"What was that?" Hermione asked.

"Who knows?" George said.

Harry bit his lip. "Could that be why he left?" Harry asked out loud.

"Who left?" Hermione asked.

"Fawkes," Harry said and he explained what he thought was going on with Fawkes.

Hermione thought about this for a moment and said, "I have to look something up in the library but it does sound suspicious that Fawkes refused to leave your side last night. Is this what you were going to tell me before the Headmaster speech?"

"That and something else but I will tell you later. We need to get to class," Harry said and the kids gathered their things and headed to class.

Petunia was at the Ministry dealing with the problems Lockhart had presented her. She didn't want Harry's face or name in the papers. She knew other children at school would of course be telling their parents about what had happened. She couldn't prevent that but she could prevent the Daily Prophet from mucking this up with their form of reporting. So, she made sure that Ministry understood where she stood on the matter. She also wanted to make sure Lockhart didn't cause his own kind of trouble.

Petunia was talking to the Madam Bones that morning. When, Sirius arrived ready to murder Lockhart. "Where is that-that man," Sirius said not finding word he could use around the women. So, he bit back comments.

"He is in lockup," Madam Bones said.

"You don't think I could go visit him for a moment?" Sirius asked smiling.

"No," Petunia said giving her a look that saved for the boys when they were in trouble. "Lockhart is going to go to Azkaban in a few hours."

"What no trial?" Sirius asked.

"No, he pleaded guilty," Petunia said calmly.

Sirius raised an eyebrow at this. "What did you do?" he asked Petunia.

"Petunia didn't do one thing. I did," Madam Bones said. "I read Susan's books and I could not see that man doing any of it. So, I had someone do some digging into things for me. I found out that Mr. Lockhart had stole others work and made money off of it. We gave him a choice. He could either do time as a thief or…"

Sirius knew what the 'or' was had to laugh for he knew what the prisoners of Azkaban would do to Lockhart. He would personally destroyed for stealing other people work but he would be placed in the lower level of the prison the side without Dementors but the 'or' would force him to deal with the Dementors and of course people like his cousin Bella. She would destroy him just for the fun of it.

"You don't have to say it," Sirius said. "I know what would happen to him. I was there, remember?" Sirius said.

"So, you can understand the reasons behind his choice," Madam Bones said.

"Yes, I do," Sirius said.

"It will also keep Harry or the other boys from dealing with a trial," Petunia said.

"What will keep him from doing anything after he gets out?" Sirius asked.

"Lockhart is going to have a permanent repelling charm placed on him. He will not be allowed to go near anyone under the age of 18 again," Madam Bones said.

"Well, that is something," Sirius said. He knew that charm could be broken but he knew people that could really break Lockhart. He wouldn't do him any bodily harm to the man but personally destroy him that was another story. Lockhart was going to be a pet protect of sorts to Sirius. He might even see a Grim now and then watching him.

The class that Harry dreaded was the last class of the day and that was DADA class. The kids walked to find the room cleared of Lockhart's pictures and to find Albus Dumbledore standing there waiting for them. "Please take a seat," He said in a formally. The kids obeyed with everyone taking their seats. "I read the books Professor Lockhart had chosen to for this class. I find them worthless. Your new books are in front of you."

Harry looked at the book in front of him and read the title quietly to himself: _The Joys__of Dark Arts__! _'Well, it sounds better then _Romping with Werewolves__!_' Harry thought to himself. In fact, the class was rather normal. So, why was Harry so jumpy being in the same room with the headmaster? The voice in his head said to him '_don't trust him'. _Harry shook his head slightly and tried to clear it. He couldn't figure out where the voice was coming from but something told him to trust it.

The class went well but as they left. Harry noticed Hermione shoving their new school book deep in her bag with an uneasy look on her face. "What is it?" Harry asked after they left the room.

"I glanced over the book in class and I don't like any of it. Harry this book is filled dark stuff. Why would the Headmaster teach this?" Hermione asked.

"Who knows but we better be careful around him," Harry said.

"I agree," Hermione said thinking maybe it might good idea to show Professor McGonagall the book and ask her opinion about it. She first had to stop at the Library and get information on phoenixes.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Later that day, Harry and his friends managed to get together outside to talk about the events that happened. Colin was now part of the group. He sat beside Susan Bones as he was filled in on everything that had happened up until this point. "So, do you think this danger that you were warned about could have something to do with the Heir of Slytherin?" Colin asked, sitting on a rock near the lake.

"We think so, but we're not sure," Susan replied sitting on the grass next to Luna and Ginny.

"Hermione, did you find anything out about why Fawkes didn't want to leave my side?" Harry asked, noticing the bird sitting on a tree nearby watching him.

"Yes, I did," Hermione said opening two books. She placed the books on the ground so everyone could see them. The books were Hogwarts: a History and Magical Creatures. "Well, what I found is that, Phoenixes are considered the purest creatures in our world. No one knows how they are created or where they come from, but it is believed they are immortal. There are only a few known phoenixes in the world today. Fawkes here," Hermione said pointing to tree where the bird sat perched listening to the kids talk. "Is named in this book because they are so rare," Hermione said.

"What did it say about him?" Susan asked.

"To summarize, it says that Fawkes used to belong to Godric Gryffindor, and before then it is thought that he was Merlin's phoenix. No one knows for sure, but in the History of Hogwarts, I found a picture of Godric with Fawkes. Below it is says here that Fawkes really belongs to Hogwarts. He can choose who he stays with, but most of the time he picks the headmasters of the school. The only time he finds another master is when the Headmaster has either turned dark or is considered dark in the first place." Hermione explained.

"So, does that mean that Professor Dumbledore has turned dark?" Neville asked.

"It could be. I mean, he has changed. The book he gave us in class proves it," Hermione said.

"It could explain his eyes," Ginny said.

"His eyes?" Ron asked.

"You saw them too?" Harry said.

"Yes, they went red. I got this cold chill all of sudden when I saw them. It made me feel like I didn't want be near him," Ginny said rubbing her arms as if she was cold, but it was such a warm fall afternoon that the kids were running around without jackets on, so she shouldn't be cold.

"What are you two talking about?" Ron demanded, hating the fact that he was being ignored.

Harry explained what had happened up in the Professor's office the night before. He tried to cover everything. He did leave one part out, and that was the fact that he was hearing voices. He wasn't ready to admit this yet. He would look into this himself. He would then, and only then, tell his friends about it.

"We better keep an eye on him then," Fred and George said in unison, walking up and joining the others.

"Who invited you?" Ron asked.

"Easy Ronnikins, you need us," Fred said, taking a seat on the ground behind Hermione.

"We do?" Ron asked coldly. He didn't want his brothers around. He dealt with them enough at home. He didn't want to deal with them at school, too. They weren't needed here.

"Ron, we can't keep an eye on Professor Dumbledore all the time. Fred and George can help us at least do it some of the time," Erin said.

"Oh, you're wrong, Ms. Malfoy. We can keep an eye on the Headmaster all the time," Fred said. Fred and George looked around them, making sure no one was spying on them. When they were sure that it was safe, George pulled out an old piece of parchment. The others looked at it wondering what it was and why the twins were being so secretive.

Fred pulled his wand out and tapped the parchment and said, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good!"

"How did you get this?" Harry asked, pointing to the map.

Fred and George smiled brightly and told the others about snitching it from Filch's office their first year. They went on telling them how they learned how it worked and how it could work for them. Hermione looked displeased. Ron muttered "Only you two!" Ginny was smiling proudly, for she loved her brothers' accomplishments. As for Harry, he was looking at the map watching the icon of Albus Dumbledore change from one moment to the next into Tom Riddle.

"Ah, Guys, we got a problem," Harry said finally, and he pointed to the map.

The kids looked at what he was pointing to and were stunned. It wasn't the fact that Albus Dumbledore was coming out of a second floor bathroom at the time, but they, too, saw Riddle's name appear on the map.

"What is going on?" Ron asked.

"How can there be two people over lapping?" Susan Bones asked.

Hermione had a hunch about how that could happen, but she wanted check something out first. Before she could head that way, the dinner bell rang.

"Food!" Ron said being first to his feet.

"If Hermione is always thinking about books, then Ron is always thinking about food!" Erin said to Ginny as she stood up.

"You are right about that," Susan Bone said, standing up as well. Everyone laughed at this and went inside.

Harry and Dudley were the last to go in. Dudley had to convince Right-and-Left, his pet snake, that it was time to go inside. Dudley named his snake this after Harry explaining to him that the two-headed snake was always fighting about which direction to go. One wanted to go right, and of the course the other wanted to go left. Dudley had felt that it was a perfect name for a two-headed snake.

The snake, at the moment, was too busy sunning himself to bother listening to his master. Harry had to talk to them and convince them it was time to go. The boys were walking back to the castle when they spotted Neville looking around the rocks by the lake.

Harry and Dudley walked over to where the boy was and Harry asked, "Neville, did you loose something?"

"Trevor or Trevina, as I guess I should start calling her, has vanished again. I was hoping to see her near the lake. I know she wants to find a mate, but I don't want her to end up as lunch for the squid," Neville said worried.

"Don't worry, Neville. She promised that she would be back as soon as she found a mate. She loves being with you. She just needs to um... you know, lay her eggs," Harry said blushing a bit. The subject of reproduction always got to him. He heard the older boys talking about it a lot, and it was subject that he didn't want to hear about. Harry knew this would change; but right now, he didn't want anything to do with it.

"I know. I'm just worried about her. You would be too if it was Hedwig," Neville said.

"Yes, I would, but I would hope my friends would remind me that she would be fine," Harry said.

Neville nodded as he stood up dusting himself off and started walking with the other two towards the school to join the others for supper. The boys didn't notice Albus Dumbledore standing in the shadows watching them. Fawkes flew down from his tree and blocked the old man's path.

"My pet is free. Your master can't stop me now," Albus hissed sounding more like Voldemort than himself.

Fawkes squawked and flapped his wings as if replying, "It isn't over with yet. I'm still here."

* * *

Later, the kids were walking up to their dorm rooms when Harry stopped suddenly. _Rip! Kill! _Harry heard.

"What is it?" Dudley asked, as he and the others stopped walking as well.

Harry looked at his cousin to see Right and Left fast asleep around his neck. "That is strange," Harry said.

"What is?" Ron asked.

Before Harry could reply he heard. _Food! I smell food! _"Guys, I think there is a snake near by." Harry said.

"Yes, he is around Dudley's neck," Fred and George teased in unison. The mentioned snake lifted one of his heads, flicking his tongue out at the pair. He settled back down, resting it on Dudley's shoulder.

"No, I mean this one isn't nice like Right-and-Left. This one doesn't sound friendly. I don't know where it is, but I hear it," Harry said.

"Are you sure?" Susan asked looking worried. She didn't like snakes. She had enough trouble being around Dudley's snake. She wasn't looking forward to meeting an unfriendly snake.

"Yes, I am," Harry said.

The kids started forward again, moving more slowly this time. Fred and George were in the lead, watching out for trouble. As they turned the corner near the second floor girl's bathroom, they found a water puddle on the floor. In the middle of the puddle was Mrs. Norris lying stiffly on the ground, and written above her on the wall were these words: Enemies of the Heir of Slytherin beware! The Chamber of Secrets has been opened.

"Is she dead?" Erin asked.

"What does it mean about the Chamber of Secrets?" Ginny asked.

"I don't know. I've never heard of it before," Susan said, answering Ginny's question. "But I think those words are written in blood.

"What could have caused it?" Harry asked.

Before Hermione could reply, Filch suddenly appeared. He screamed at the sight of his cat on the ground. "Mrs. Norris! Get away from her, you filthy little brats!" He yelled.

The old man rushed to his pet's side and picked her up. "What did you do her?" he demanded.

"We didn't do anything," Colin said.

"Liars! I bet they did it!" Filch said pointing a finger at Fred and George. "They are always causing me trouble."

"They did not," Susan snapped. "Fred and George were with us, and I'll swear to it!"

"You are a little liar, just like the rest of them," Filch snapped.

Susan was about to reply to this, but she didn't get a chance to because the raised voices caught the attention of Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape. The three professors walked up, and Professor McGonagall took in the scene around them. Her blood ran cold as she read the words on the wall. She forced herself to be professional, though, and stayed focused. "What is going on here?" McGonagall asked.

"These little brats killed Mrs. Norris," Filch cried pointing to the kids.

"Mr. Filch, I'm sure there is another reason for your cat's demise," Albus said with a small gilt of glee in his eyes as he looked around at the destruction around him.

"We did not harm his cat," Susan Bones snapped. "And if he keeps insisting that we did, I'm writing my aunt!"

"I'm sure, Ms. Bones, that that is not necessary," Professor McGonagall said.

Severus had walked over to where the cat was laying. He was bending down low, close to the cat checking it out. He was also looking at the words on the wall and wondered who had written them. "Headmaster, this cat is not dead. She has been petrified," Professor Snape said after checking things over.

"Petrified?" Minerva explained turning to face him. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," Severus said, carrying the stiff cat in his hands to where his colleagues were standing.

Minerva and Albus both checked out the cat, one more then the other. "You are right, Professor Snape. It seems this cat has been petrified," Professor Dumbledore said calmly.

"Well, the twins are capable of just about anything, but not even they can petrify a living creature," Minerva said in a matter of fact tone of voice.

"No, you are right about that. I do not believe these children are behind this poor cat's affliction," Albus said calmly.

"But…" Mr. Filch started to speak, but Albus quieted him by raising his hand.

It was this one action that caught Snape's attention. He had seen this done before many times, but it wasn't Albus. It was the Dark Lord's hand gesture. He had done it quiet often when he needed to quiet down his followers during meetings. It puzzled Snape, and he decided to keep a close eye on the Headmaster from this point on.

"Children, I think it is time for you to go to bed," Albus said calmly.

"Yes, sir," the kids said and ran off. They didn't want be around Albus any more than they had to be. They all ran off, leaving the Professors behind to deal with Mr. Filch.

When the kids were far enough away, they stopped and talked. "What kind of snake petrifies you?" Harry asked.

"How do you know it was s snake?" Dudley asked.

"Yes, I know, but this sounded like a snake. Don't ask me how I know; I just do," Harry said.

"Okay, so if it is snake, then how is moving around? And why didn't we see it?" Ginny asked.

"I'm glad we didn't see it. I am wondering, though, about that warning. Does it mean that the Heir of Slytherin is in the school somewhere?" Susan asked, shivering.

The twins were looking at the map and said, "We better get going. They are coming this way. They must be taking Mrs. Norris to the infirmary." The kids nodded, and everyone went to their dorms.

* * *

After tending to Mrs. Norris, Professor Snape went to his private quarters to think. He stood in front of his mirror, looking at his dark mark. It was showing. It had been for weeks now. He told Albus about it before school had started. The old man had just told him to keep up to date on it. That was the last real conversation they had had. Severus had been tempted to talk to the Headmaster, but something was keeping from doing so. What was it? Was it the man's actions or his attitude? What was different?

Before Severus could answer these questions, there was a knock on his door. Severus scowled but turned and went answer it anyway. As he opened the door, he was shocked to find Minerva standing there.

"There is something wrong with him," Minerva hissed as she entered the room.

"I assume you are talking about our esteemed Headmaster?" Severus asked.

"Yes, I am," Minerva said. "There is something wrong with him. That is not the Albus I know."

"You know him better than I do." Severus said.

"Yes, I do, and that is not Albus Dumbledore. He didn't even flinch when Filch brought up the events that happened the last time the Chamber was opened." Minerva said, taking a seat in one of Severus' chairs.

Severus realized that she was here to stay to talk. So, he pulled out his wand and a pot of tea and appeared on the table. He sat down and joined her. He normally didn't talk to Minerva. She was a Gryffindor, after all, but that was not the only reason he didn't talk to her. She had once been his teacher, and he still found it hard to get over those old feelings. So, it took him a while to find his voice after sitting. When he did, he talked in a very formal tone, "I do not mean to speak badly of our Headmaster, but since the stories of what he did to the Potter boy, 'I'm starting to wonder if there's more about him that we don't know.

"Are you saying he is finally showing his true colors?" Minerva demanded.

"No, I would be the last person to accuse the Headmaster going dark. What I'm saying is that maybe his age has finally caught up with him. He is under a lot of stress. He has demands on him outside of the school that keeps him up at all hours. This alone would cause someone of his age to wear down," Severus said.

"It would if he was dealing with all of that, but I found out that Albus has cut himself off from the Ministry. He is not even going to meetings like he normally did. He has turned over those demands to Minster Fudge," Minerva said.

This shocked Severus and worried him. It was Albus who protected him. Fudge knew he had the Dark Mark. If he wanted to, he could and would, without thinking about it, put Severus into Azkaban. "Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes, I am. I doubled checked. What worries me more is that Fawkes has left him. I have heard my Lions talking. The bird is sleeping in Harry's room. Severus, the last time Fawkes left a Headmaster of this school, he had turned dark," Minerva said, pausing a moment before saying the last word. She didn't want to think about, it let alone believe that that is what might be happening.

While rubbing his left arm, Severus thought of the head gesture he'd seen 'Albus' make. "I need to look into a few things; but until I get back with you, don't talk to the others about any of this. It might not be wise. Also, keep a close eye on Harry. He might not be safe now that the Chamber has been opened," Severus said.

"You don't think he would harm the boy, do you?" Minerva asked.

"I don't know what I think right now. I do know that there is something wrong. We just have to find out what it is," Severus said.

"Alright, I will do what you ask, but you will tell me soon what you are thinking," Minerva said.

"As soon as I find out if I'm right or not," Severus said. He soon showed Minerva out. The moment she was gone, he walked to his bedchamber to meditate. He needed to make sure his mental walls were thick and solid; for if he was right, one crack in his mind and he was a dead man.


	7. Chapter 7

Dear readers,

Before you read this chapter, I have a confession to make. There is a reason I don't follow the books as closely as most writters of Harry Potter fan fiction is that I don't own the books. The sight where I normally got my information is not working right but thanks to a view. I do have a new address. It is the main reason this story is an AU story. I don't plan on following Cannon if you haven't noticed...lol. I do love the characters though and I try very hard to keep them true to form. For, if there is one thing I loved about the Harry Potter stories is the characters and the great wealth of them. So, any time I use the wrong name in a chapter please tell me. I do try to keep the characters as they are. I don't mean to change them. I hope this helps everyone understand why I pick the wrong character name now and then. Hey, I'm doing most of them by memory and trust me mine isn't the best. LOL...

Okay, I'll shut up. Enjoy the chapter...

Marti

PS... I forgot something... shame on me I know because this is very important to me. Thanks for the great reviews please keep them coming. Any comments are read and taken in good or bad. I do read them. I know I have missed a few now and then but I do try and comment back. Thank you for reading...

Also the screwy words were looked up by my Bata Nancy. Thank you for doing that for me. The list came in handy...

**Chapter Seven**

The next Sunday was the first Quidditch match of the season between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. The game was close**,** and it seemed it was going to go down to which Seeker caught the snitch. Harry was flying high in the sky looking for the snitch when a bludger flew past him almost taking his head off. He glared direction it came from to see Fred looking in his direction with a shocked look on his face. "Sorry, Harry," he called out. "I wasn't aiming for you. I lost control of it."

Harry nodded and was just going back to looking for the snitch when someone yelled, "Harry, look out!" Harry moved out of the way just seconds for the same bludger flew past him again**,** hitting the tip of his broom this time around.

The warning had come from Cedric Diggory. The older boy flew next to Harry and said, "That thing is out of control, I have never seen bludger act like that before."

"Thanks for the warning**;** I know what you mean about it acting strange**.** I wonder what's going on," Harry said.

"Who knows around here, let's just find the snitch and end the game," Cedric said. The boys went back to looking for the snitch.

The trouble was that the bludger just wouldn't leave Harry alone. The people in the stands were puzzled by the bludger's strange actions. They were now watching as Harry dove and ducked**,** watching more for the bludger than the snitch.

"I swear that bludger is trying to kill Harry," Susan said.

Luna sat beside Susan writing madly on a piece of paper. "It looks like the bludger is attracted to Temporary Rash Jet," Luna said.

"What?" Ginny asked puzzled**,** giving her friend a strange look.

"Oh, forget her," Erin said looking around for the bludger**,** trying to track its movements.

Hermione was watching someone else. She was looking in the direction of the teachers' bench**,** noticing the smug smile on Professor Dumbledore's face. "He did something!" she said coldly.

"Who?" Ron asked**,** watching game more then listening to what was going on around him.

"Professor Dumbledore, look at him. He is acting like he knows what's going to happen next."

"He rigged the game?" Ron asked.

"No, the bludger! He sent it to kill Harry," Erin said**,** giving Ron a dirty look. She couldn't believe Ron could be that dense sometimes.

In the stands by the teachers, Petunia was sitting with Remus and Sirius**,** watching as the bludger took after her nephew**,** and she wasn't happy about it. "What is going on with that thing?" she asked.

"I don't know**,** but it isn't normal," Remus said**,** looking in the direction of the Headmaster. The wolf inside him smelled something off**,** but he couldn't figure out what it was.

"I'm sure it is nothing," Snape said from his place sitting beside Lucius Malfoy and his wife. He had no idea why they were there**,** but since they were, he had to be careful about how he said things. He wasn't able to stay his true thoughts, which were that the bludger had been cursed. Severus glanced in the Headmaster's direction and noticed a calm look on his face. _'Did he do this?' Severus asked himself. 'No, he couldn't. He wants the boy to live? He needs the boy? Doesn't he?'_

"You would say that," Sirius growled.

"Headmaster, stop this game," Petunia demanded.

"My dear, I'm sure nothing is wrong with the bludger. It is only part of the game," Albus said with a calm**,** pleased smile on his face.

Before Petunia could reply, Harry and Cedric both caught sight of the snitch at the same time. Harry had a choice and that was to either ignore bludger and go after the snitch**,** or lose the game. The competitor in Harry couldn't lose the game**,** so he went for it. He was hoping to outrun the bludger long enough to get the snitch.

Cedric realized it**,** too**,** and went after the snitch as well**,** trying hard to forget about the bludger but it was harder for him. He ended up looking back now and then to see where the bludger was. This ended up giving Harry the edge over Cedric**,** and just as he was about to wrap his fingers around the snitch. The bludger hit him right in the back of his head. He caught the snitch of course**,** but Cedric caught Harry. Cedric had seen the bludger hit Harry and knew the boy was hurt. He could either let him fall or catch him. Cedric did the honorable thing. He grabbed a hold of Harry just before he started to fall.

No one cared who caught snitch or who won the game at that moment. They were worried about Harry. They saw the bludger hit him right in the back of the head**, **so, they knew it couldn't be good. As Cedric landed, he found himself surrounded by a crowd of worried people. Harry looked up to see Petunia, Sirius and Remus along with Madam Pomfrey fighting to get through the crowd of kids.

It was Madam Pomfrey who reached Harry first. "Put him down," she ordered Cedric**,** quickly taking charge.

The nurse was working on Harry as Petunia and the surviving Marauders finally got through the crowd. "How is he?" Petunia asked.

"It isn't good. He was hit right in the back of the head. I need to get him to the infirmary," she said and she started levitating Harry from the ground.

It was at that moment they heard a whistling coming at them from above. The crowd looked up to see the bludger flying right at them. Albus Dumbledore raised his wand and blasted it to pieces. "That takes care of that," Albus said disgustedly.

Madam Pomfrey and Harry's family didn't bother with the Headmaster at that moment. They were too busy to worrying about Harry. Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall were watching him**,** and they noticed that after blowing up the bludger**,** Albus had moved to stand beside the Malfoy family. He was smiling the same cold**,** empty smile as Lucius was.

Severus was worried**,** and he started rub his left arm. The mark was burning. It was like the Dark Lord was around**,** but how could he be? This was Hogwarts. He couldn't be at school. Could he? The Potion Master looked at Headmaster and the Malfoys as he rubbed his arm. "No," he thought**,** shaking his head. "It is impossible. This is Albus Dumbledore; he wouldn't go over to the dark side." He refused to believe it. He did believe**,** though**,** that something was wrong with the Headmaster. "An illness, maybe?" Severus thought. "Yes, that was it. He is ill. It is effecting his decisions."

* * *

Harry woke up to find himself on the shore of the lake. He stood up and turned towards the castle. The castle he saw looked like Hogwarts**,** but it was different. It was larger than the Hogwarts he knew. It was also brighter. He didn't know why**,** but it was. As he looked around**,** he noticed that there were no house flags flying. There was only one flag**,** and it had three symbols on it. The one that was missing was Slytherin.

"Where am I?" Harry asked**, **speaking to no one**,** or that's what he thought.

A voice behind him caught Harry's attention**,** "You are at Hogwarts," a mischievous**-**sounding male voice said. Harry turned to see a man with thick black**,** graying hair and blue eyes standing there smiling. Harry had seen the man before. It was Godric Gryffindor, but he was bit younger than the man in the pictures. In fact**,** he looked a lot like Harry and his father. "Hello, Harry," Godric said as he walked over and joined the boy. "How do you like Hogwarts?"

"Is this Hogwarts?" Harry asked.

"Not the one you know**,** but yes it is. This is how Hogwarts should have looked**;** or rather**,** this was our dream," Godric said**,** looking at the castle with a sad expression on his face.

"Dream?" Harry asked.

"Come, it is time we talked," Godric said. Harry and the old wizard went for a walk around the lake. Godric filled his heir on things that were long forgotten.

* * *

It was late in the evening**,** and Petunia was the only one awake. She was sitting beside Harry's bed watching him sleep. Madam Pomfrey said that they were lucky. The bludger had hit Harry not on back of the head as it had looked**,** but on his right shoulder. It had knocked him out though**,** so he may have a concussion. The nurse thought the injury was minor**,** and that Harry should be fine in the morning. Harry was young and strong. He was going to be okay in the nurse's opinion.

Petunia wasn't going to rest though**,** until she saw Harry open his eyes. The guilt about how Harry was treated growing up started to surface again. If Petunia was honest with herself, and secretly she was, she didn't do right by Harry. She asked her sister for forgiveness every night before going to bed. It never helped take away the guilt she felt because nothing changed. The past never changed. It was how it was**,** and there was nothing Petunia could do about. So, the only thing she was left with was trying to make it better for the boy that was left in her care. She just hoped she still had a chance to do that.

As Petunia thought these thoughts**,** Harry started to groan and fought to roll over**,** but because of his injured shoulder**,** he was unable to move too much. Madam Pomfrey had made sure he couldn't move around by placing a medical binding spell on him.

Petunia leaned forward and said in a low and loving voice, "Easy, Harry. It's okay. You're safe."

Harry opened his eyes and asked, "Where am I?"

"In the infirmary," Petunia said realizing the boy didn't have his glasses on. Harry was could not see two feet in front of without them. She helped slip them on him**,** giving Harry a view of the room around him.

"At least tell me we won?" Harry asked hopefully. He had a hunch that the bludger had caught up with him.

Petunia shook her head and said, "You have your mother's heart but your father's love of that dumb game. Yes, you won."

"Good," Harry said yawning starting to drift off to sleep again. He wondered as he closed his eyes**,** 'Will I dream of that strange man again?' This was the last thought Harry had just before he drifted off to sleep again.

"Good night, Harry," Petunia said bending low and giving her nephew a kiss on the forehead. She noticed two smiling men sitting on beds across from them. Sirius and Remus had been listening. The adults could sleep though the rest of the night**,** for they knew that Harry was safe.

Sirius stood up**,** changed into Padfoot**,** jumped onto Harry's bed**,** and curled up into a ball before drifting off to sleep. Remus went back to sleep on the bed he was resting on**,** pulling the old woolen cover over his shoulders. Petunia just smiled at them and took the other bed. She would get some sleep tonight**,** but in the morning she would leave. She had things to do. The reconstruction of the Wizengamot was coming up and the work she had to do before it happened wasn't going to go away.

* * *

The next morning**,** Harry's friends came to see him. Petunia had stayed just long enough to talk to Dudley about his father. She told him that Vernon was out of the hospital and in the care of his sister**,** but that was all she knew, as they weren't talking to Petunia. She had tried**,** but sadly nothing worked.

If he wanted to write Vernon a letter, he should and send it to her. She would make sure that Vernon received it. Dudley nodded in understanding and realized that his father's problem was exactly that**,** his own problem. It had nothing to do with Dudley. As for writing a letter, Dudley didn't think it would do any good**;** Vernon wouldn't read it**, **so why bother.

Petunia and Remus left then, but they did leave a massive**,** black dog behind. Sirius was worried. He knew something was wrong**,** but he didn't know what. He wasn't going leave Hogwarts until found out what it was**,** so he was using Padfoot as a perfect disguise. He hadn't had time to tell Harry or his friends about his Dog form**,** so they didn't know it was him. They would talk openly around him**,** giving Sirius an idea of what the kids knew or didn't know about what was going on in the school.

"Hi, guys," Harry said smiling**,** sitting up in bed and petting Padfoot's head.

"Hi," The Gang said.

"Man, you really know how to catch a snitch," Ron said**,** dropping down on the bed beside his friend.

"Yeah, but Diggory was the one that caught the seeker," Fred laughed**,** eyeing the black dog on Harry's bed. He couldn't help but wonder where he came from and why did he look so familiar.

"I don't care. I'm just glad you're safe. You could have died," Hermione cried while giving Harry a hug.

"I didn't**, **though; and I'm fine," Harry said**,** blushing as he tried to pull free from Hermione's grasp.

"Well, I know who was behind your attack. It was the headmaster. He was acting funny during and after the game. I know he was behind it," Ginny said**,** sitting down on the bed on the other side of Harry and opposite of Ron.

"Well, he didn't do anything to me. I'm fine," Harry said**,** and he settled down in his bed. He was tired and his arm still hurt just a bit**,** so he figured while he didn't have to go to class he would get some sleep. Harry's friends took the hint and started to leave. They had classes anyway**,** so they would come in and check on Harry later.

Fred and George were the last to leave. The boys gave the black dog on Harry's bed a long hard look before closing the door and leaving. As they did, they pulled out a beat up parchment from their packs to look at it.

When Harry woke up from his nap, he noticed a piece of parchment that Luna had left. He was puzzled at what he saw**,** and it took him most of the day to figure out this was just a taste of what she had written down…

_Harry James Potter….. Atmosphere tray jr, Atmosphere jar try, Atmosphere raj try, Atmosphere try jr a, Temporary set ah jr, Temporary set ha jr, Temporary she at jr, Temporary tea jr sh, Temporary the as jr, Amethyst o'er apr jr, Amethyst o'er jar pr, Amethyst o'er par jr, Amethyst o'er raj pr _

_Ronald Bilius Weasley…. Delusionary lewis lab, Delusionary libel saw, Delusionary libel was, Delusionary swell bia, Delusionary we'll bias, Illusionary blade sew, Illusionary blade wes, Illusionary bleed saw, Illusionary bleed was_

_Ginevera Molly Weasley … Mineralogy valley ew s, Mineralogy weasel levy, Generally levi's amy owe, Generally levi's amy woe, Generally levi's aye mow, Generally levi's may owe_

"What do you think**,** Padfoot? Do you think Luna has lost it?" Harry asked the dog showing him the writing.

Padfoot snorted and nodded his head** in** agreement. The dog went back to sleep at the foot of the bed. Harry had realized what she had done**,** and since he was board**, **he started to make his own list of names from the names of people he knew. He did about a page full when he wrote down Tom Riddle's full name. He didn't know why**,** but he did it. He had several down when he came up with these words: _I am Lord Voldemort. _

Harry's heart was racing. He was hoping he was wrong**;** and tired it several more times**,** but he always came up with the same thing. It was then that Harry remembered his dream. He had thought it was a dream**,** and now Harry wasn't so sure. If it wasn't**,** then he understood why Voldemort had gone after his family and why he lived.

Harry looked around the room and noticed Madam Pomfrey hadn't returned yet**,** so he decided it was time for him to leave. He needed to check his mother's diary for answers**,** and that was in his dorm room.

Harry quickly changed and left before the nurse returned. He knew he would hear it from her later**,** but then again**,** he did the same thing before. She should have realized he would do it again once he was feeling better.

Harry left for his dorm room leaving a sleeping dog behind.

* * *

Harry's friends were worried about him when they realized that Harry had left the Infirmary without telling anyone, and they were worried that the Headmaster might have done something to him. They were happy when they finally found Harry sitting on his bed**,** but as they neared they noticed he had been crying.

It was Ginny who made the first move. She sat down on the bed beside him and asked, "Harry, are you okay?"

Harry looked up at her and said, "She gave up her magic to protect me."

"What?" Ron asked confused.

Harry looked at the diary and said, "I wish they could see what she wrote." He then handed the diary to Hermione and the others. They sat on the bed**, **and everyone gathered around Hermione to read. They were all stunned by what they read.

_Dear Diary, _

_I'm sitting in my mother's garden enjoying the roses. James and I are living at my family's home for now. It is in London close to his work and the hospital. I'm due shortly. We are still fighting over a name. We know the baby is going to be a boy. I want to name him after my father Harry__**,**__ but James wants his son named after him. I think I finally wore him down. He said this morning that he would be happy if Harry had father's first name and James would be the baby's middle name. I like it. Harry James Potter! _

_This alone should be making me happy__**,**__ but thanks to the Headmaster__**,**__ I'm not. He stopped by today to talk to me. He wanted talk to both James and me__**,**__ but James was at work. I didn't know when he was going to be home__**, **__so I talked the Headmaster into telling me the problem._

_We were in my mother's sitting room. I knew Rowena was listening. She usually does when people visit. She doesn't show herself. She never has. I always wondered if the Headmaster knew about her and the others. I don't think so. I think he doesn't know they are around. _

_The reason he was here was to tell me of a prophecy that he overheard. I won't bother writing it all down__**,**__ for he was only half__**-**__right. Rowena and I already knew this. She had shown me another prophecy a long time ago. This one has been passed down through Hogwarts heirs for Generations. This one I knew is true. I feared it even as a child because I knew the time was coming. Now that my parents are dead and James parents are gone__**, **__we both know it is getting closer to time. The time the Heirs would fight for control of Hogwarts._

_It doesn't help that Vernon caused the early birth of Petunia's son. Oh, that man. I want to curse him until the end of time. I know it is not kind of me to think this__**,**__ but he isn't human. I keep trying to talk her into leaving him__**,**__ but Petunia is Petunia. She can be so stubborn__**,**__ that one__**;**__ and everyone tells me that I am because of the color of my hair. They don't know my sister. I know why she married him__**,**__ and I know why she is staying with him. But sometimes, I wish she wouldn't think she had to stay. Oh, well. I might talk her out of it one day. _

_Okay, I am rambling I know__**,**__ but I do that when I'm nervous. You have to forgive me. The doctors told Petunia that she can't have another child. They were Muggle doctors__**,**__ but when she went St. Mungo's to double check__**, **__she was told the same thing. He hurt her that badly. She is lucky that Dudley survived. The boy looks a lot like his father to me__**,**__ but Petunia didn't want to hear it even if it is the truth. The only difference that I see in the boy is that he has his mother's hair color__**,**__ not his fathers. _

_So, with me having a boy and Petunia having one, then there is only more to go. I asked Alice a few days ago if she knew and she said yes. It is boy. She is happy__**,**__ and I didn't want to destroy that happiness by telling what I know__**,**__ just in case Frank hadn't told her. _

_The heirs will fight for Hogwarts. It will be three against one. Slytherin had made sure that his last heir would never die unless he dies on Hogwarts grounds by the hands of Godric's heir. Harry! Don't think about it … your son won't do it alone. The others had made sure of it. They made sure that it would be a joint fight. This was to join Hogwarts together, not pull her apart the way Slytherin tried to do. No, when they win__**, **__the school will become one__**,**__ and Slytherin's bloodline will be_ _no more…_

The kids looked up at Harry**,** shocked. "I don't believe this," Susan said.

"It gets worse. Read…" Harry said.

"How could it get worse?" Erin asked.

"Keep reading," Harry told them.

The kids didn't argue with him. They just started to read again. It was almost year after Harry's birth that things got interesting.

_Dear Diary, _

_I found the answer. It is risky__**,**__ but it will work. I talked to Alice and Petunia about it. We all three agree for our sons' sake that we will do it. James and Frank__**,**__ of course__**,**__ are worried. We are at war after all__**,**__ but I know he is coming. _

_I see him at night in my dreams. He is coming after my son__**,**__ and I have to stop him. It doesn't matter if I loose my magic or my life. It only matters that Harry's lives. I told James this__**,**__ and he told me that I'm being emotional. I ignore him of course because I see the fear in his eyes; I think he knows it__**,**__ too. He tries to tell Sirius and Remus this__**,**__ but they don't listen. I think it is their way of dealing with the situation. If they joke about it then it won't happen. The trouble is__**, **__it's going to happen. I know it. I feel it. _

_James isn't as close to Peter as he is to the other two__**, **__so he wouldn't dream of telling him of his fears. I don't blame him. Harry hates Peter. I know hate is a harsh word__**,**__ but there is no other word for it. Harry won't leave my arms when Peter is around. He is not like that around Remus or Sirius. You would think Remus could cause a bit fear from the boy but not my Harry. I think he smells the chocolate that Remus always has on him. I know I do. The man is addicted. I swear it. _

_As for what I want to do __**…**__ like I told James__**,**__ it doesn't matter. I'm willing to give up my powers for ten years. It will be worth it. My son will be safe__**;**__ Godric will make sure of it. I'll bind Godric's ghost to Harry. Petunia will do same with Dudley and Rowena. Alice will have Helga bound to Neville. The boys will be safe. It will be worth my magic. It is only ten years…. _

Harry is pacing the floor of his dorm room. "She faced him without any magic. She knew she couldn't fight him. She didn't run," Harry cried. Harry knew it was weak for a boy to cry**,** at least that is what Uncle Vernon always told him**,** but that is what he felt like doing at the moment. He didn't know anyone with more guts than his mother. She had given up her magic to make sure that he survived a dark wizard like Voldemort**,** and to Harry that was brave.

Neville was crying too**,** for if Harry's mother gave up her magic**,** he knew his had done the same thing. She had faced people like Bella and her husband without magic and without a way fight back. She had done it to save him.

The girls in the room gave the boys motherly hugs and said, "It is okay to cry. I'm sure anyone would cry if they lost their mother."

"I know I would," Dudley admitted sheepishly. He knew his father would think him weak for saying it**,** but he didn't care. He would cry if or when he lost his mother. She was a very special person to him**,** and he knew that she would always be.

"Me too," Ron said.

"Same for us," Fred and George replied.

"Same here," Colin said sniffling.

Harry laughed**,** sniffling a bit, "Well, at least I know I'm not alone," Harry said.

"And don't worry mate, we won't tell anyone," Ron promised.

"Yes, it's our secret," Dudley said.

Harry dried his eyes**,** and they read more of the diary. Lily had written everything down about how and when they did it. She also explained how the connections between the ghosts and the boys would work. Harry knew the voice in his head was Godric. He was Harry's guide and protector. He was the one that kept Harry from giving up when his uncle was at his worst.

Harry finally understood why his aunt didn't leave his uncle. Harry remembered that Professor Dumbledore had told his aunt that the blood protection would not transfer to another house. Petunia couldn't protect herself or him and his cousin. She had no magic. So, she had stayed with her abusive husband because of it. She only left after her ten years. She had just gotten her magic back. It was because of this that she didn't do spells that much. She was more then rusty. It was more like she was starting over from scratch. Harry realized that there was more to his aunt than he ever thought before.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

When Padfoot woke up, he found Harry gone, but unlike his friends, he wasn't too worried about it. Padfoot figured that Harry was like his father and hated spending time in the Infirmary; so he decided it was time to do some snooping around. He knew something was going on; he just didn't know what it was. The first place he went was the teachers' lounge. Padfoot knew the teachers were more likely to talk in there about what was going on than anywhere else.

Padfoot knew a secret way into the lounge area and found a nice hiding place inside a storage cabinet. He had left it partly open so he could hear everything that was said in the room. He then settled down to wait.

Padfoot didn't have to wait long; classes were ending and everyone was heading to the lounge area to relax before suppertime. The room soon filled, and everyone was chatting about events of the day or the day before. These were the conversations he wanted to hear.

Padfoot had to strain to hear Professors Snape, McGonagall, and Flitwick's conversation. He started to stick his nose out the storage room door more and more. This was a mistake for Professor Trelawney was in the room and the moment the woman saw him she yelled, "GRIM!" as she ran from the room in a panic, heading back to her tower not to be seen for the rest of the evening.

Several other Professors started to scream and run towards the door as well. The only ones that weren't running were McGonagall, Flitwick and Snape. Snape opened the cabinet door to find Padfoot looking up at them sheepishly.

"Isn't that Mr. Lupin's dog?" Flitwick said.

"Lupin?" Snape asked eyeing the dog.

"Yes, he seemed fond of Mr. Potter. Remus said that he would be back later in the week to pick him up," Professor McGonagall said. At this, Sirius put on his best cute-dog look, moved from the closet, and went to sit at Professor McGonagall's feet looking up at her and whimpering.

Snape growled and said, "Black, cut it out. You are making a fool of yourself!"

Padfoot shot a dirty look at Snape just seconds before Sirius turned back into his human form and said, "Snape, you always did know how to ruin my fun."

"And you need to grow up. Why are you hiding in the teachers' storage closet?" Minerva demanded, looking at Sirius as if he were a mischievous child.

At this, the other two professors stared at Sirius waiting for his reply. Sirius suddenly felt like he was in school again and just got caught playing a prank. "I … I …" Sirius stammered, and he had to take a deep breath to calm his nerves. He then he told them. What Sirius didn't count on was what they told him. Sirius dropped into a chair sometime during Minerva's explanations. He looked white and was speechless for a long time afterwards. "I was hoping I was wrong," He finally said.

"As were we, but the longer this year goes on, the more we realize that something is really wrong with the Headmaster. What is worse is he is teaching the children now. This is the book he picked," Minerva said, handing Sirius a copy of the book that Hermione had given her earlier that day.

Sirius choked. He knew this book. It had been written by his own ancestor, and it wasn't a book to be used to teach children, or at least that was his opinion. Despite the light title, the book was filled with many dark and dangerous spells, some of which were band by the Ministry. It isn't illegal to know them, but it **is** illegal to use them.

"He has lost his mind," Sirius said.

"We agree; but what do about it? How do we prove it?" Flitwick asked.

"And now the chamber is open," Minerva said sadly.

"Yes, you were at school when it was open last. What happened? Who was blamed for it?" Severus asked.

"I know who took the blame for it, but I know he didn't do it. It was Hagrid. It was why he was expelled," Minerva said and quickly added when she noticed the 'I knew it look' on Severus Snape's face. "He didn't do it. It was another student. Albus never told me who it was, but he assured me that Hagrid was innocent."

"And you believed him?" Professor Snape asked.

"I believed him when he said you could be trusted even with that mark on your arm," Minerva said calmly but firmly.

Sirius jabbed Snape in the side and said, "She got you there didn't she!"

"That is enough, Mr. Black," Minerva said coolly.

"Yes, ma'am," Sirius said, that feeling of being in school again was coming back to him all of a sudden.

"I will allow you to stay at the school in your dog form, but I advise you to behave yourself. I do not need you to start pranking Professors or students while you are here. We have enough to deal with, with these strange disappearances," Minerva said.

"Any students hurt yet?" Sirius asked. He didn't hear anything, but that didn't mean it didn't happen. It has always been policy at Hogwarts not to let the outside world hear too much about what going on inside the walls of Hogwarts.

"No, only pets are vanishing at the moment, but this is how it started the last time. I'm afraid it might get worse before it gets better," Minerva said sadly.

"Does anyone have any idea what the creature is?" Sirius asked.

"No," Minerva said.

"Well, then I have some snooping to do," Sirius said, and he changed into Padfoot and strutted out of the room.

"It is too much hope that that man runs into whatever is attacking the animals?" Snape muttered.

"Severus, I suggest you put your dislike for Mr. Black behind for you now. We do not need either of you fighting," Minerva warned him.

"You tell him that. If my hair turns blue one time, I'm going to make his life a living hell!" Snape muttered, and he walked out of the room. He didn't trust Sirius any more then Sirius trusted him.

* * *

At dinner, Sirius sat under the Gryffindor table, resting his head on Harry's feet. The kids enjoyed having the massive black dog there. They were feeding him scraps from their plates. After a while, he knew whom to sit by and whom not to; some of them were giving him food that they wouldn't eat. He started avoiding them.

Professor Dumbledore was watching this with a cool look on his face; or should I say, Voldemort was, for he knew something was wrong with the dog. He just didn't know what it was. Albus seemed to be hiding something from him. He hadn't managed to get all the details from the old man's mind just yet. There was a section of it that the old man was keeping out of his reach. Voldemort was slowly wearing him down to get to it. It was only a matter of time. Voldemort was sure of that; he was going to win this battle with Albus Dumbledore. He was going to win it and take full control over the man's body.

For now though, he had other things to deal with. It was time to take the three little heirs. He had the perfect way to get rid of them. He was going to do it on the night he attacked their parents. Halloween! It was going to be prefect.

After the meal, Albus stood up, cleared his throat, and tapped his fork against his goblet, getting everyone's attention. "I have an announcement to make," he said formally. The students and the teachers all looked at him wondering what he was going to do now. "I have decided to make this Halloween celebration special. We are going to have a costume party that night, and everyone must attend. This is including the Professors and Staff members. At midnight we will have an unmasking showing everyone who is who."

The kids started to shout and cheer, but the Professors did not. They were worried. They had been trying to talk the Headmaster into canceling the Halloween celebration because they were worried about the attacks getting worse. It seems that Albus was ignoring them and would go forward with this crazy plan of his.

* * *

Arthur arrived home later than normal that evening. He had a stack of papers with him, and he was a bit worn out. October 31st was the day of reconstruction, and it was fast approaching. People were stopping by his office regularly to talk to him, either to get their name to Petunia for an opportunity for a seat or to keep the one that they had. This left him little time to do his other work. He was forced to stay late to do his other work. Fudge was complaining about this of course, but so far he hadn't done anything about it. Arthur knew he would eventually, but hopefully he would hold off until after the 31st; by then things would hopefully calm down for him.

Molly put a warmed supper on the table and sat down across from her husband to talk while they ate. "Arthur, you are working too hard. I think you should tell Petunia the money is nice but you can't do it."

"Molly, my dear, I would love to, but then how will we pay for the children's tuitions. Hogwarts is not cheap. I only went because I was the eldest son. My brothers all went to the Shamrock Academy in Ireland because it was the only place my parents could afford to send them. It would have been the same for us if Albus hadn't had offered to pay for the children's tuition in exchange for my help working for him and the Order," Arthur said.

"Yes, I know, but we could cut corners some how," Molly said.

"Molly, we tried that, remember? It won't work. The only way it would work is if Fred and George drop out after they take their owls, and I won't allow that. I want my sons to finish their education. If working a few late nights is what I have to do to make sure my children get a proper education, then that is what I'll do," Arthur said.

"I could go back to work," Molly offered.

"You do enough as it is. Aren't you going to St. Mungo's and offering parenting help to all those new mothers who find themselves overwhelmed with their first child?" Arthur asked.

"Yes, but it doesn't pay much. I could get a real job," Molly said.

"Would you be just as happy?" Arthur asked her kissing her hand.

"No," she said. She loved helping to teach the new mothers how to take care of their babies. It was a joy to her watching them bond with the child. It helped her remember the first time she held Bill and her other children.

"Well, then it is settled. Things will stay as they are; beside, the late hours should end soon. It is only until after the Reconstruction. Besides, I haven't had this much responsibility in years. Albus only asked me to make sure that the Muggles were treated right, or asked me what was going on in the Ministry now and then. This is the first time that I actually feel like I am earning my keep."

Molly nodded and dropped the subject. She put the cake that she had made on the table and sat there enjoying the rest of the evening with her husband.

* * *

Petunia was alone, seated behind her father's old oak desk sipping her tea and having her usual meal of cheese and crackers. Now that she doesn't have to make sure the boys are taken care of, Petunia didn't bother having the house elves prepare three full meals each day. This, of course, upset the little creatures but they accepted her orders.

Petunia did note that now that they weren't cooking for her, they spent most of the time cleaning areas of the house that were neglected while the boys were here. They were currently fixing and cleaning the attic and basement. She secretly enjoyed having them around because of this. They were keeping the house in the way she would keep it, if she had time to do it that is, but since she didn't. She was happy to have them around.

This thought caused Petunia to pause a moment and look at a paper that was resting off to the side from the others. Vernon was not out of her life as she had hoped he would be. He now wanted support money from his rich wife. He found a new lawyer. This one was not any brighter than the other one but slimier. Petunia couldn't help but wonder how much money Vernon had offered him to take his case.

"Oh, well, Andi Tonks assured me that he doesn't have a leg to stand on," Petunia said out loud.

"Muggles say that the first sign you're losing your mind is talking to yourself," Remus said walking into the room right then.

"What?" Petunia said jumping just a bit.

"Sorry," Remus said walking into the room. "Snip said you were in here. I told him that I could see myself in. I guess I should have had him announce me."

"It's okay. I was just thinking out loud. What brings you here this evening?" she asked Remus.

"You wanted these papers before the 31st. I thought I would drop them off," Remus said placing the files on the desk.

Petunia smiled. "Lonely?" she asked reading something in Remus face.

Remus smiled. "A little," he admitted. "I didn't realize how lonely my life was until Sirius came into back into it."

Petunia nodded and pointed to a chair. "Sit," she told Remus. Remus did. After he was seated, she said, "Why don't you find someone? I get why Sirius doesn't, but why not you? Why are you alone, Remus?"

"I'm a werewolf, that's why," Remus said in a matter of fact tone of voice.

"Is that your only reason?" she asked him.

"Yes, what about you? Why are you alone," He asked her.

"I'm not ready to find someone just yet. I still have Vernon in my life, even if I don't want him. Besides, the boys are not ready for another man to be around," Petunia said.

"Them or you?" Remus asked her.

"Both," Petunia admitted.

"So, if you weren't a werewolf … Is there anyone you would go after?" Petunia asked.

Remus wet his lips and thought about a certain clumsy young woman. "Yes," he said. "But because I am, and always will be, a werewolf, I can't."

Petunia pulled a book from her desk and handed it to him. "This has been in my family for centuries. It was written by Rowena Ravenclaw before the founders' differences pulled them a part. She was the assistant to Salazar Slytherin. They were working on the cure for werewolves. I looked it over. I think they were closer to a cure than anyone has been before or since. You might find a master who could help you finish their work," Petunia said.

Remus took the book his hands, shaking just a bit. "I don't know what to say," he said.

"Don't say anything, just find someone that you trust to do this work," Petunia told him. She knew who she would give it to. She was going to at one time, before she found out what he had done. It was the night before she met Vernon and before her entire life changed forever. Petunia shoved the memory of him from her mind. She couldn't think about him. He had his own life now, and she wasn't part of it. He also could never be part of hers, not the way things stood between them.

* * *

Harry was in the second year boys' dorm room gathering together bath things when Dudley walked in. "Harry, I have a problem," Dudley said.

"What is it, Dudders?" Harry asked.

"This," Dudley said pulling on the waistband of his pants. "My pants keep falling down. I have done everything that I know of to keep them up, but nothing is working anymore. It must be all this walking. I have lost too much weight."

Harry had to admit that Dudley had changed over the past few months. He was slimmer now, and Harry had noticed that Dudley had grown a few inches as well. "Well, I think some of the older kids know spells that fix clothes. I heard Ginny talking to one of the older girls, asking her to mend one of Ginny's favorite shirts; we could ask them," Harry said.

"Who?" Dudley asked.

"Let's try some of the girls from the Gryffindor Quidditch team. If they don't know any, I'm sure they can find someone that does," Harry said, and he went with Dudley to help solve his problem. Harry figured the shower could wait, or he could take one in the morning before class.


	9. Chapter 9

_Hi, _

_I was going to post this Saturday but since I will be busy tomorrow. I figured I would post it tonight. I hope everyone enjoys it. Oh, the little voice in Snape's head is him talking to himself. The voice Harry is hearing is Godric. I just thought I point this out so it doesn't confuse anyone..._

_Marti_

Chapter 9

October 31st came fast for everyone, and while the kids spent their time getting ready for the party that evening, Petunia and the other members of the Wizengamot gathered together for the reconstruction.

Reconstruction was a long and drawn out process. Lords just couldn't stay; they were going to replace this member or that member for any reason. They would give long-winded speeches about how they felt the term had gone. They would bring up old arguments they had either lost or won because how a person they had placed voted.

Back in the early days of the Wizengamot, Reconstruction was known to cause family disputes that would last for years. This wasn't one of those times because families were just starting to recover from the last war the Wizarding World had. The people that were being replaced were like Umbridge. The Lord they served were either unhappy with their work, or a new seated Lord had taken an old Lord's place. This Lord was putting their own people in the seats and starting anew.

Petunia and Sirius were the ones replacing the most people. Sirius' reason behind replacing the people he was replacing was simple: They helped put him in prison without a trail, and he didn't want them around. Andi Tonks, was taking Sirius' seat this day because he was tending to business elsewhere, or that is what she told the others when they asked where he was at the moment. Andi also stated that Sirius felt that due to personality issues, it was time to make a change of some seated members. She refused to say it the way he told her to say it. She was just too much of a lady for that.

Several members laughed at this because they knew the truth: Barty Crouch Sr. was one of those members. He had helped put Sirius away and knew the moment the man was free that Sirius would replace him. The moment Sirius was out of prison, Barty Crouch Sr. had gone looking to find another Lord to serve. This way he wasn't totally without a position of power. He found one, and now he was just being moved from one area of the Wizengamot to another.

Not all of the removed members were that lucky. Umbridge was not lucky; no one wanted her around. She was being removed, and she had no alternate seat to take. This had caused Fudge to worry a bit. Most of his people that were being removed were followers of the light side. The only ones that weren't were the ones that served people like Lucius Malfoy. He knew if he lost support from the followers of the light, with the way things stood today, he would be out of office very soon; he had a lot of work to do to improve his image with the members of the light side.

Fudge started working on this at the small get together after the meeting. It was a way of the Lords to thank the leaving members for their work and introduce the new members to the others. He was spending a lot of time talking to Petunia and Andi along with Andi's husband Ted. The threesome was doing their best to get rid of Fudge, but so far it hadn't happened. He just wasn't going to go away.

"Mrs. Tonks, I hear good things about your daughter. She is turning into one of our brightest young Aurors," Fudge said.

"Yes, Nymphadora enjoys what she is doing. We are very proud of her," Andi said wrapping her arm around her husband's waist.

"Oh, yes, I'm sure you both are," Fudge said looking at Ted for the first time since he walked up. He had forgotten the man was standing there.

Andi wanted to scream because of this. Andi felt that Fudge was just another Pureblood snob. He was ignoring her husband, acting like he wasn't even there. This angered her, and she would have left if Sirius hadn't convinced her into doing this for him, so, she was forced to stay. She knew one thing: he owed her big time for this, and she going to make him pay. She just didn't know what she was going to have him do for her just yet, but she would come up with something.

* * *

Molly and Arthur were there as well. It was his first outing as a new member of the Wizengamot. They were talking to another new member of Petunia's group, Mr. Diggory. It was clear right away that the Diggorys' greatest joy came from their son Cedric's accomplishments. In Molly's opinion, the Diggorys were just a little too enthusiastic about how wonderful their son was, but she forced herself to stay quiet, while standing there talking to the man, for Arthur's sake. She didn't want to cause trouble for her husband when he was just starting to improve his position in life.

"Cedric wrote to us about what happened at the school a few weeks ago. I am very proud of him for risking his life to save Lady Evans' nephew's life," Amos said smiling proudly.

"Yes, we heard. Harry was lucky that Cedric was able to catch him," Arthur said smiling calmly.

"Yes, he was. I'm sure that is the reason Lady Evans picked me for this great honor. She did that with you as well, your sons' did save Young Lord Potter's life as well," Amos said smiling.

"Harry is part of our family. What our children did for him was more because of that than anything else," Molly said firmly.

"Yes, I am sure they did," Barbara Diggory said snobbishly.

Molly was about to say more, but Arthur just tighten his grip on her arm and slightly shook his head. He knew that arguing the point wasn't going to work. The Diggorys would believe what they were going to believe, no matter what either of them said. They knew the truth, and that was all that mattered. Besides, Arthur felt that Amos was not worth fighting with. As far as Arthur was concerned, the man always was a bit self-centered.

Arthur knew the real reason Amos was chosen for one of the Evans' Lord seats. It had nothing to do with what Cedric had done. It was because Amos was considered a 'yes-person.' He was there to vote the way Petunia wanted him to vote, not for anything else. Remus had told him this when they sat down one evening and went over who was going to be selected for the Evans' seats and who wasn't. This was the first time that Arthur had realized that Petunia respected his opinion and that he wasn't around as a 'yes-person.' It helped Arthur to realize that he had made the right decision to work for Petunia.

* * *

At school, Harry and the other kids were getting ready for the dance. He was walking into the Gryffindor common room and found Ginny sitting on the couch crying and holding a destroyed costume. Harry walked over and sat down beside her. "What's wrong?"

"Some of the girls from my dorm destroyed my costume," Ginny cried holding the destroyed item in her hands. The dress was ripped, and what was left of the fairy wings, which wasn't much, was mangled.

"Why?" Harry asked.

"Because they are from rich families and I'm not. They make fun my clothes all the time. One girl is always saying she wouldn't be caught dead wearing last years styles," Ginny said sadly.

"Ginny, they're not worth crying about. It doesn't matter what you wear. It matters how you treat others," Harry told her sitting beside his friend and giving her a hug.

"But I don't have a costume," Ginny said.

Harry thought about things for a moment then said, "You can go as Godric Gryffindor. Dudley has been bugging me to go as one of the Blues Brothers. This will make him happy that I can do it now."

"But you worked hard on getting your costume together," Ginny said.

"Don't worry about it. Dudley is a big 'Saturday Night Live' fan. He really likes the old stuff. He really wanted to do this but hadn't found anyone to do it with him." Harry said.

"What is 'Saturday Night Live?" Ginny asked puzzled.

"It is an American Muggle TV show that Dudley watched back on Privet Drive. Uncle Vernon got a satellite to get all the sports he craves. An American channel came with it, and they ran the show. Dudley would stay up late on weekends to watch it," Harry said.

"Oh," Ginny said, not really understanding; but when came to Muggle things, there was a lot she didn't understand. She just smiled and dropped it.

"I'll go get the costume," Harry said starting for his dorm room.

Harry was just about there when he spotted three giggling first years walking into the room through the painting opening. They took one look at Ginny and laughed even harder. Harry knew right then who had destroyed Ginny's costume. He figured he would stop by to talk to Fred and George before rejoining Ginny. He was too nice to prank the first years, but that didn't mean Fred and George couldn't do something to them. They were Ginny's brothers after all.

* * *

Hagrid was just about ready to leave his cabin to go up to the school when Firenze the centaur stepped out of the darkness. "Hagrid, friend of the Centaurs, I'm thankful to find you out. There is a problem in the forest," Firenze said.

"What kind of problem?" Hagrid asked.

"A small unicorn has hurt her leg. I was hoping you could help tend to it?" Firenze said.

Hagrid looked up at the castle thinking about the Headmaster's orders. He wanted everyone there, but this was important. Hagrid was sure that the Headmaster would understand why he wasn't there tonight, so he went with Firenze to tend to the small unicorn.

* * *

Severus Snape was leaving his quarters, dressed in his usual evening robes. He knew this was a costume party but he wasn't going to wear one. It thought it was childish and beneath him. Severus felt that if this didn't prove the Headmaster had finally lost it then nothing would.

As he walked into the Great Hall, he found Minerva standing near a table watching children file in. "You don't look pleased," Severus said as he walked up to her.

"I'm not. I don't like this," she said firmly.

"Neither do I, but we can't fight the Headmaster's orders," he said.

Severus slowly scanned the room, making mental notes on where things were and how the place was set up. The tables were along the walls, filled with food or drink. The candles were floating just above them, giving enough light for now to light the entire room. He knew by the time the party got started that the light would dim. This would make seeing people a lot more difficult. This thought bothered him.

"_Perfect time to sneak up and attack someone," the voice in his head said. Severus grunted at this. "The old man is not a Death Eater. He isn't a killer like me," he answered the voice. "Are you sure? You have been comparing him to the Dark Lord a lot lately." _

"Severus?" Minerva said, noticing the lost look on the potion master's face. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I need to go check on my snakes. It wouldn't be wise to leave them alone too long," Severus said, and he walked through the exit to the dorm area.

Minerva thought it would good idea to check up on her own charges. Slytherins were a threat, but she had Fred and George to deal with. She knew those boys and knew they could and would cause trouble any time. She wouldn't put it past them to cause some trouble tonight, so she went up to the dorms to make sure they were behaving.

* * *

Harry was just about to leave to join his friends to head to the Great Hall when a voice filled his head. _'Take your broom, you might need it.' _

'_Why?' _Harry thought to himself_. _

'_Something is going to happen tonight. I don't know what it is_,_ but this feels like a trap. It is a good idea to be ready for anything,_' the voice said.

Harry thought about it. It felt wrong. He knew it. The others had said it as well. It might not hurt to have his broom and Dudley's as well. He would even ask the twins to bring a few of their tricks with them just in case. They might come in handy. Who knows? Harry quickly gathered his broom along with Dudley's. He kept them in the shrunken state and put them in his pocket. If and when they were needed, he would have them on him. He then rushed out of the dorm room to join his friends and head downstairs.

* * *

The Great Hall was slowly filling up. Kids walked in laughing and talking among themselves and admiring each other's customs. The Professors and other staff members were there as well. They were talking together, keeping watch as the children gathered.

Professor Trelawney was talking with Madam Hooch about her visions of tonight's events. "I foresee this evening to be very uneventful," she said calmly.

"I hope so," Madam Hooch, said wondering how she could get rid of the woman.

It was Sirius who came to the rescue. He paraded into the Great Hall right in front of them as Padfoot, smiling only as a dog could smile. He was walking in the middle of Harry's friends. The moment Professor Trelawney saw him she screamed and fainted. Sirius walked over and looked at the woman. Madam Hooch picked up a huge chunk of meat from the food table and placed it on the floor in front of him. "Good dog," she said patting Padfoot on the head before getting away before Trelawney came around.

Sirius tilted his head with puzzlement but gulped down the food. He wasn't about to turn down a free meal.

Harry and his friends, meanwhile, stood together talking. The twins were glancing now and then at the map. "The Headmaster isn't here yet. We don't even see him on the map," Fred and George said in unison.

"Maybe, he left," Erin said.

"I don't think so," Dudley said with a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. He didn't know why, but he had bad feeling about all of this.

"Let's split up," Harry said. "We can keep an eye out for trouble that way."

"Got it, mate," Fred replied and the group split a part.

As everyone moved around talking, eating and enjoying themselves, they didn't realize that they were in trouble. Albus Dumbledore, or Voldemort by this time, was getting ready to set his trap. He was deep inside Slytherin's Chamber. He pulled out his wand and waved it toward the ground before him, muttering an old spell long forgotten. The ground suddenly started to change, and the rocks formed a miniature version of Hogwarts, right down to the last detail.

Voldemort then picked up a bottle from the ground near by and poured a deep red liquid over the miniature castle, muttering another spell as he did so. He also placed four ruins on the four corners of the castle. He then stepped back to watch.

The miniature castle started glow a deep blood red, and all windows and doors vanished from the exterior of the castle. Then a strange bubble formed around it not letting any light in or out. Voldemort started to laugh at this moment and said, "It is done. They are trapped here like rats."

Voldemort was right. They were trapped, for the changes in the miniature Hogwarts happened to the original version as well. There were no more windows. They were no more doors, and all of the secret passageways leading out that Voldemort knew about were now blocked. There was no way in or out of Hogwarts as far as Voldemort was concerned.

The last thing he did before heading up was to feed his pet some rats. He pointed his wand a few feet above the center of the miniature castle and said a spell. A small version of his Dark Mark hung over the little castle and outside the larger version blazed green, its deathly face for all to see.

Voldemort stated to walk then, hissing to his pet snake, "Come my pet, let us go have some fun." Voldemort and the snake started to travel down a deep dark tunnel leading to the center of the castle.

Percy and Penelope were standing close together. Percy had his hands wrapped tightly around her waist. "Let's leave," she said smiling up at Percy.

"What if they find out, Penny," Percy stammered, blushing a bit.

"They won't. They don't even notice us," Penny said nudging gently against Percy's shoulder.

Percy choked but decided to go, anyway. Why not? He doesn't want to be the perfect son all the time, now does he? He could do a little bit wrong. The pair went to one of the side doors and tried to open it but the door wouldn't open. "It won't open," Percy said.

"Maybe it's stuck," She said, and they tried together but the door still wouldn't budge.

"I think something's wrong," Percy said, thinking maybe his brothers were up to something. It was the only answer he could think of. "Let's go talk to Professor McGonagall."

Penny nodded, and they went to find Professor McGonagall. When they did, they weren't the only kids complaining about the doors. "I'm sure it's nothing," Minerva said, trying to hide her fear, but she was afraid. She knew something was going on. She just didn't know what.

Harry, Dudley and Neville knew as well that something was wrong. Neville found Harry and Dudley standing and talking by the punch table. "Something's wrong," he said.

"We know. We got the same feeling," Dudley said, looking around the room with dread.

"I think we need to get the others together," Harry said.

Harry had only taken a few steps when suddenly the ground below him started to shake. He stopped walking, as did everyone else, and stood there looking down at the floor. The floor of the Great Hall suddenly started to crack. The crack grew winder until it was almost from one end of the room to the other.

Everyone backed up, the children were looking for the Professors for answers, but they didn't have any. Filch was the only one brave enough to step forward. "How am I going to fix this?" He said to no one in particular while looking down at the crack with a disgusted look on his face, and maybe a hint of fear.

It was at that moment that all hell broke loose, or that's what it felt like. The floor below Filch burst open sending the man flying backwards along with massive chunks of marble. One of the chunks hit him, killing him instantly.

No one had time to think about poor Mr. Filch, for the moment the floor burst open a massive snake suddenly appeared. It was a Basilisk, and on its back, dressed in black with a white death mask on his face, was Albus Dumbledore. He was laughing madly, and his eyes were glowing red.

Chaos erupted in the Great Hall of Hogwarts castle. Kids were running towards the exits, but the doors refused to open. Professors were fighting to get past the crowed of children to protect them from the attack.

Minerva and Severus figured who it was, but it was why that puzzled them. The pair pulled their wands, preparing for action when Albus' voice filled the Great Hall, sounding nothing like the old man anyone ever knew. "Lord Voldemort is back. The Heir of Slytherin has returned. It is time for the enemies of the heir to die." To show he meant business, the old man pulled his wand and started to send the killing curse down at the crowd below him.

Meanwhile, Harry, Dudley and Neville huddled together. Harry turned to Neville and said, "Go find the twins, help get those doors open," Harry said.

"Got it," Neville said taking off without a moment's thought.

"Now I know why we brought our brooms," Harry said taking his out of his pocket. He was thankful that all magical brooms had a shrinking spell put on them, allowing the owner to shrink or un-shrink a broom as was needed. It saved him from knowing the spell, and made carrying his broom much easier.

"Yes, but what are we going to do," Dudley asked pulling his broom out of his pocket.

Ginny and the girls were fighting to get free. The problem was Albus, or rather Voldemort, thought that Ginny was Harry. He knew the boy had decided to come as Godric; that's what he overheard not long ago, so he was hunting down all the people who had decided to come as Godric Gryffindor. Ginny was easy to spot because she was the only one with a phoenix.

A girl near Ginny and the others had looked up to see the snake coming at them. She screamed. The scream had died suddenly as she looked into the snake's eyes.

"Don't look at it!" Hermione yelled at the others trying to push everyone forward.

Fawkes didn't pause a moment. He knew what he had to do, and he did it. The bird took flight; his talons open wide, heading right for the snake's eyes.

"You stupid bird!" Voldemort yelled while trying to point his wand at the bird, but it was too late. Fawkes found his target. The snake was now blind and hurt.

The bird flew away, heading back to the girls. He knew for some reason that his master would want him to protect them. So, he stayed with them, riding on Ginny's shoulder as she and the others fought to get out the door.

By the time Fawkes had taken flight, Neville had made it to the doors, Fred and George had made it as well. "Can you get this door down?" Neville asked them.

"Yes, move back," Fred ordered.

Some of the older kids knew twins well enough to trust them, as did Professor Flitwick. He had just arrived as well and figured if the twins knew of a way to get the door open, he was going to let them.

"Move back," the small Charms Professor ordered.

The kids backed away, and Professor Flitwick did a spell that protected anyone from what was about to happen, even though he had no idea what it was going to be. Fred and George were thankful that their father had given them an allowance. They'd used it to buy items to prank with. They had bought several things that were explosive, and quite a few others that were only explosive if handled wrong. The twins realized this was the prefect time to cause an explosion, and boy did they!

The double doors blew open, and even before Flitwick had a chance to lower his spell, kids started to push forward. They wanted to get out and away from that snake. Fred and George stood at the doors helping everyone out and making sure they spotted their siblings leaving.

Ron had gone to the food table right before things started to happen, so, like almost everyone else, he had been separated from his friends. He was fighting to get out of the Great Hall. He was pushing rubble off the floor when he found Draco trapped under a chunk of slate. The boy was alive but hurt. "Where are your friends?" Ron asked.

"They left me," Draco said panicking, not noticing at the moment who he was talking to; he was too busy fighting to get free to notice.

Ron sighed. He could leave. He knew that, and part of him wanted to. The trouble was there another part him that knew it was wrong. "Here, let me," Ron said, and he helped Draco lift the slab off his leg.

Draco looked at Ron for the first time and said, "Why are you saving me, Weasley?"

"Because it is the right thing to do," Ron said, finally understanding something his father had told him once. It is easy to do what you want, but it is hard to do what is right. Ron didn't give Draco a chance to comment on this. He picked the boy up and they started forward together.

"You know, this doesn't mean you are saving my life," Draco said to Ron hating himself at this moment for allowing a Gryffindor to save his life.

Ron didn't comment. He just kept on walking, but he had a smile on his face for he knew that Draco was wrong. Ron **was** saving his life, and that meant a lot in their world. He could, and probably would, remind Draco of this after everything was over.

Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape were helping kids to get past the flailing snake. They had just seen Fawkes take out its eyes. They were happy about that because the Snake could no longer kill or petrify anyone with its gaze. However, because of the obvious pain it was in, and because of the size of the room and how large snake was, it was now crushing or knocking over everyone as they tried to leave.

Professor McGonagall had just helped Percy and Penelope up as the snake's massive tail went flying over their heads. The threesome ducked, but sadly another person didn't. Professor Trelawney had lost her glasses in the chaos, and she couldn't see without them. She didn't see the snake's tail coming at her until it was too late. She went flying backwards and through the hole in the floor that the snake had made. You could hear her scream for a good while until a thud drifted up wards. Penny turned and buried her head in Percy's shoulder.

"Mourn her later," McGonagall said, and she gave the pair a gentle shove to the door.

"She's right; move," Professor Snape ordered, looking around for missing children.

This was when he saw Harry and Dudley. "Damn," Severus muttered.

Minerva was about scold him when she saw them as well. Harry and Dudley were jumping on their brooms while holding the ends of the Gryffindor banner. "They aren't!" she said.

"Gryffindors!" Severus cursed; as if this was enough tell anyone exactly what he was thinking.


	10. Chapter 10

* * *

Hi, I hope I haven't kept you waiting to long. Here is the next chapter, enjoy!

**Chapter 10**

"Are you ready?" Harry asked his cousin.

"Ready," Dudley said.

"Let's go," Harry said and the boys took off together.

Harry and Dudley flew towards the snake as it fought its pain. One went over the snake's mouth and the other under. As they did so, they pulled and the snake's mouth snapped closed using the banner as a muzzle.

Voldemort was fuming. He raised his wand sending a spell at the smaller of the pair on the brooms. He knew it had to be the boy he wanted to destroy. The problem was that the snake moved just as the spell went flying. The spell had hit Harry's broom not Harry. It blasted the broom into pieces sending him flying to the ground below. Dudley reacted to this without thinking. He flew into Voldemort and knocked him off the snake's back.

Voldemort landed near Harry. The Dark Lord recovered first, and he went at Harry. Padfoot was nearby, but the moment he saw Voldemort go after his Godson he because Sirius again; and before he could send a spell flying, Voldemort had reached Harry. The boy came to and without thinking, Harry grabbed the hand that held the wand.

Pain shot through Voldemort. It was so bad that he couldn't think. This was enough for Albus Dumbledore to take back control of his mind and body. He pushed with everything he had left in him and shoved the dark spirit of Voldemort out of him. You could see the dark mist leave the old man and head back down the hole it had just made moments ago.

"Harry, move," Sirius called out, his wand aimed at Albus.

However, before he could shoot a spell off, Severus rushed over and blocked his view. "He's gone," Severus said.

"Get out of my way," Sirius growled.

"No, I won't let you harm him," Severus said, refusing to move.

Albus ignored the men fighting for a moment and looked into the stunned face of Harry. "Thank you," he said weakly. "You saved me, Harry."

"Are you back?" Harry asked.

"Yes, for now," Albus said, and he passed out dropping his wand from a blacked hand that Harry had just moments before grabbed onto.

Professor McGonagall arrived just before Sirius and Severus could kill each other. "We don't have time for this; that snake could be back any time," she snapped.

The men lowered their wands. Sirius went to Harry and helped him up. "Are you okay?" he asked while giving Albus a dirty look.

"Yes, but it isn't over yet," Harry said.

"I know," Sirius, said helping his Godson to his feet.

Severus and Minerva bent low over Albus, checking the Headmaster over. "Is he back to normal?" Minerva asked sadly.

"Yes, for now, but he's still in danger," Harry said.

"How do you know?" Severus demanded.

"He just does," Dudley said, walking over with what was left of his broom. He had crashed right after knocking the Headmaster off the snake.

"_We need to get to Gryffindor Tower." the voice in Harry's head ordered. _

"I know," Harry said.

"We need to get out of the castle," Sirius snapped.

As if in answer to his comment, kids appeared in the doorway, "The doors are gone," Several cried out.

The other professors and staff members gathered there as well, looking at Minerva for guidance. Harry was the one who spoke up, "I promise you will learn about everything later, but the safest place for us is in Gryffindor Tower!" Harry said.

"Why?" Snape snapped.

"Because it is the one place that Slytherin can't control," Harry said, sounding nothing like Harry now. Snape would have replied, but a movement from below told him maybe he would fight this later.

"Let's go," Minerva ordered. She noticed several students were dead but some had been petrified. It hurt to leave the dead, but she knew it was too late for them. They would deal with the dead later. She and the survivors just had to live first.

The professors and children all started for the towers. As they walked, they noticed the paintings on the walls were glowing red. "We have to move," Neville said, ordering the person in front of him to move faster.

No one argued with him. They realized he was right. Whatever was happening couldn't be good. They started to move forward faster. It didn't take long for the group to reach the painting guardian of Gryffindor tower, The Fat Lady, looked worried. "Oh good, you arrived before the darkness overtook me," she said, looking at the kids around her.

Minerva said the password and the painting opened. "Inside," the professor ordered.

The kids started to enter the opening as the painting looked at Harry. "Can you help me?" she asked.

Harry nodded. "Yes, Godric told me how," Harry, said, and he touched the painting. He spoke in a tone of voice that was not his own. "The gift of protection is given to this guard as long as the guard protects those inside."

"Thank you," the Fat Lady said, and her painting started to glow green.

"We need to go," Harry said noticing the suit of armor moving towards them. The ones that were still in the hall didn't argue. They just stepped through the opening, and it closed behind them.

* * *

Hagrid was walking back to his house, carrying a baby unicorn in his arms. The little one had fallen and broken his leg. It would be okay in a few weeks; but until then, he would keep him safe at his home. As he neared the castle though, he noticed the Dark Mark flying overhead.

The smile that was normally on the half giant's face, vanished instantly. He rushed forward through the trees and out into the open. He looked up at Hogwarts and noticed the widows and doors were gone. Owls were flying everywhere trying to get in the castle, but none of them could. A white owl, landed on Hagrid shoulder. "Hedwig, what's going on?" Hagrid asked Harry's owl. The owl just hooted sadly.

Hagrid nodded as if understanding the owl. He walked to his home and opened the door with one massive hand. He walked inside, placed the little unicorn in small basket near the fireplace, and then grabbed a quill and parchment. He wrote a quick note to the Headmaster's brother in town. Hedwig allowed him to tie it to her. "Please hurry," Hagrid said to the owl.

Hedwig hooted in a way that sounded a bit upset that Hagrid had felt as if he had to tell her to hurry; after all, she knew her job. Hagrid just made a face and watched as the owl took off. He couldn't do anything for the castle now. So, he tended to the unicorn until help arrived.

* * *

Aberforth Dumbledore was tending the bar when Hedwig flew in with Hagrid's letter. The old bartender took the note and read it. At first he thought that the gamekeeper was drunk again, but when he looked outside towards the school, his opinion changed. He saw the Dark Mark flying high overhead.

Others must have seen him look; when they started to look towards Hogwarts and saw the mark, they started to panic. "Easy," the old man said to the group around him as they shove past him. "I'm sure it's nothing."

Aberforth didn't believe it. He hadn't heard from his brother in months, but the stories he was hearing from the Professors at the school told him something was wrong with his brother. He had tried several times to contact him, but nothing came of it. Aberforth knew this had something to do with his brother. He just didn't know what.

The bartender went to his fireplace and threw some floo powder in. He contacted someone from Ministry and told them what was going on. The woman who answered him didn't believe him; but soon after others reported the same thing, she decided to inform Minister Fudge. He was at the Wizengamot party at that very moment. So, the woman rushed off to find talk to the Minister.

* * *

Petunia and the Tonks' had finally lost Fudge. They were talking with the Weasleys when a young lady walked into the room looking a bit worked up. Petunia noticed her and moved forward to hear what she had come to say to Fudge. "Minister, I hate to bother you," the young woman said.

"You are," Fudge said coolly.

"Sir, we have a problem at Hogwarts," she said.

"What now?" he asked in frustration.

The woman paused a moment before saying, "The Dark Mark has been seen flying over the castle. I'm getting reports in from all over the area. A bartender contacted me; he said that he is the Headmaster's brother. He reported that the gamekeeper contracted him and said that the doors and windows of the school are gone."

Fudge's face went white then red, "It's lie! It has to be! You-Know-Who is gone," He yelled before realizing what he had just done.

The roomful of members of the Wizengamot all turned their attention towards the Minister. "What is going on?" Madam Bones demanded walking up.

"Nothing," Fudge said before the young woman could answer.

"Nothing!" Petunia snapped. She had heard everything, and she was worried and a bit scared. "The Dark Mark has been seen over Hogwarts, and you say it is nothing. Minister, aren't you going to send people out there to find out what's going on?" Petunia said, loud enough for everyone to hear.

Fudge shot Petunia a dirty look and said, "I was, but I don't want to start a panic.

Madam Bones cleared her throat and said, "Well, you won't start one with us. We are able to deal with issues of this nature." Then she called, "Kingsley?" The black Auror came forward from his spot near the door, and she instructed, "Call in everyone; I want all teams at Hogwarts right away."

"Yes, Madam Bones," he said bowing, and went do as she ordered.

Petunia had turned to leave. She was going as well. She needed to get to her boys. Mrs. Longbottom walked over to her as was about to leave. "I want go with you. I want to be near Neville."

Petunia nodded and muttered, "Let them win!"

* * *

The moment the opening closed and everyone was finally in the common room, everyone started to talk at once. Minerva held up her hands and said, "Quiet please." She waited until everyone was quiet and then started giving orders. "Madam Pomfrey, please take everyone that needs medical attention into the first years' dorms and tend to them there."

"Yes, Professor McGonagall," Pomfrey said, quickly getting to work.

"Gryffindors, I want everyone to go your rooms and gather together all the food and potion supplies you have there. We don't know how long we are going to be here, so, I want to see what we have," she said to them.

"Yes, Professor," the kids said, and they started off.

"Mr. Potter, you stay here," Minerva said as Harry started to leave.

Harry turned. "It would help to explain things, if I got a few things from my room," Harry told her.

"Alright, but be quick about it," she said.

Harry nodded and he took off along with his friends.

While they were gone, Minerva had helped the other Professor get the other students calmed down. She also wanted to see who was missing. She was thankful after a quick check that only a few were dead and only a few more required medical attention.

Harry finally made it back from his room. He had with him Ravenclaw's books and his mother's Diary. A gold snitch flew around Harry as he walked. Severus groaned at the sight of the snitch. "When did you get that thing?"

Harry gulped as he placed the books and other things on the table and said to the snarling potion Professor, "I got it over the summer. It used to belong to my father."

"I know to whom it belonged," Severus said.

"Not now," Minerva said cutting Sirius off with a look before he could say anything. "Alright, Mr. Potter, what is going on?"

Harry pulled out Hermione's notes and started to explain things. His friends said a few things as well as he talked, and finally the entire story as the kids knew it had been told. Minerva looked at the kids and asked, "Why didn't you come to me?"

"I did last year about the stone and you didn't believe me then. Why would I think you would believe me now?" Harry asked her.

Minerva sighed, cursing herself. "Well, from now on, I won't make that mistake. Next time you come to me and say there is something going on, I will believe you," she said.

Harry smiled at this and nodded.

Professor Flitwick looked at the Diary and the map. "Lily created this?" he asked looking at the diary.

"Yes, Sir," Harry said.

"And you and your friends did this?" The small man asked Sirius.

"Yes," Sirius said proudly smiling like a proud father after being told of his child's accomplishments.

"And you received an E on your Charms finals?" Minerva snapped.

Sirius just grinned, "That was fun, school work wasn't," Sirius said.

The twins laughed at this until Professor McGonagall shot them a dirty look. "Well, now that we are here, let's see how we can get out," Professor McGonagall looked at the book and noticed nothing written in it. "I assume there is a password?" she said looking at Harry.

"Not really," Harry said, and he took the diary. "I wish the Professors could see the information that they need to help get us out of here." He then handed it back to Professor McGonagall.

Professor McGonagall took the diary and started to read it, allowing the others to look over her shoulder. In fact, the Professors spent the rest of the night going over everything Harry and his friends had found out. They checked and rechecked every bit of information to make sure the kids had all their facts correct.

The kids soon got bored watching, and they started to settle down either in a dorm room upstairs or on the floor of the common room to get some sleep. They were hoping they were safe and that that massive, ugly snake would not get them there.

* * *

It was dawn the next day, and the Dark Mark still seen over Hogwarts. By this time, news of the appearance of You-Know-Who's Dark Mark had spread like wild fire through the Wizarding World. News media from all over Europe and the world were there to cover the event. Worried parents were there as well, huddled together looking up at the castle fearing that the worst had happened to their children.

Fudge was busy dealing with Governments as far away as the Americas about this issue. He promised them that there was no need to worry, and that You-Know-Who wasn't coming back, and that he had everything taken care of.

Meanwhile, the people around Fudge were worried; they couldn't get near enough to the school to get in. Owls couldn't reach it. Even the house elves couldn't reach their young masters. Nothing could get through, or almost nothing.

Remus had an idea about how to get in, but so far, no one was listening to him. It didn't help that Umbridge was Fudge's spokesperson near the school. She didn't want Remus' kind here, so any time he tried to say something, Toad-face would just make that annoying sound she always made and said, 'Do you really think we want to hear from your kind?'

Remus finally got angry and started to walk away. Petunia, Mrs. Longbottom and others went after him. "Remus, wait," Petunia called, out rushing to catch up with the young man.

"No, I need to get in there," Remus, said, only stopping when Petunia grabbed his arm, forcing him to stop.

"I know, but can you?" she asked as he turned to face her.

"Yes, I can," He snapped, a bit aggravated by this time. "I know of several secret passageways; one of them has to be opened."

"Are you sure?" Mad Eye asked, walking up joining the group.

"Yes, Mr. Moody," Remus snarled.

"I'm not insulting you, young man. I just want to make sure that you are sure," Mad Eye said.

Remus sighed and nodded, forcing himself to calm down. "Yes, I am," Remus, said again.

"Good, I'll get the Order together. We will go with you," Mad Eye said and he walked away.

Petunia and Mrs. Longbottom looked at Remus and the area around them before Petunia spoke up softly, "If the boys say they have to do something, let them do it."

"You know what is going on in there?" Remus asked the women. He didn't know why, but he got the feeling they knew more about this than they were letting on.

"Yes and no. We think we know what's going to happen, but we don't how," Petunia said.

Remus just nodded his head. Petunia sounded a lot like Lily at the moment. She always talked in riddles time and again. In the end, if Remus admitted it, James started doing the same thing. It was as if they knew what was going to happen, but none of them could stop it. So, they were trying to warn them about things without giving too much away. It always left Remus with a headache, and he was starting to get one now.

"When this is over, you will tell me, right?" he asked the women.

"If things work out, yes," Petunia said.

"Okay," Remus said, figuring that was all he was going to get. He went to catch up with Mad-Eye to help plan how they would get into the school.

After Remus left, Mrs. Longbottom turned to Petunia and asked, "If things don't, then what?"

"We lose. All the work and sacrifice everyone has done will have been for naught," Petunia said sadly.

"They are just boys," Mrs. Longbottom said, starting to tear up.

"I know, that's why Lily, James, Alice and Frank did what they did," Petunia said fighting her own tears. The women held hands and looked up at the castle, worrying about what could be happening inside.

* * *

In Gryffindor Tower, kids ate whatever meager food could be found, and it wasn't much. It was mainly candy or stale pastries. "I want real food," Crabbe complained.

"Yeah, this stuff isn't any good," Goyle, snapped shoving the last of his pastry in his mouth.

Their complaining soon got to the others, and now everyone was demanding food. Professor McGonagall stood in the center of the room and said, "Look, I know you are hungry, but this is all we have. We can't seem to contact any house elves. So, we can't get any food up here. Until we figure out how to get out of here, you are just going to have to accept what we can give you," she told the group.

"Whose fault is that," Draco said, standing up on his sore leg and giving Harry a dirty look. Madam Pomfrey had healed him, but he was still sore. "How do we know he's telling the truth anyway? Why should we believe this wild story of Potter's?"

"Hey, it isn't my doing. It was your father's house elf Dobby that warned me about all of this," Harry said.

Suddenly, Dobby was standing right in front of Harry. "Harry Potter call Dobby?"

"What are you doing here?" Draco demanded of Dobby.

Dobby jumped behind Harry and hid. "M – Master D – D – Draco," Dobby stammered.

Draco limped forward to grab the House Elf, but Harry stopped him. "Don't you touch him," Harry said.

"That's my father's house elf," Draco snapped.

"Not from what I understand," Harry snapped. "I heard he stole him."

"That's a lie!" Draco said.

"Then why did he come when I said his name?" Harry asked.

Draco opened his mouth then shut it. He didn't have a reply to for that, and he looked around for some help from his friends. There wasn't help forth coming.

Professor McGonagall walked over and looked down at the small little elf. "To whom are you bound?" she asked.

"Harry Potter," Dobby said in a small voice.

"No, you work for my father," Draco said.

"Shut up, Draco," Severus snapped. He knew the truth, and if Draco didn't shut up, he would talk his father right into Azkaban.

"Who is your Master?" Minerva asked.

"Mr. Malfoy," Dobby said.

Severus paled and Sirius smiled. "Got him!" Sirius said grinning like a dog that just found a new bone.

"What are you smiling about?" Draco demanded.

"The only way your father could have gotten Dobby is when the Potters were attacked. You father is going to Azkaban," Sirius said smiling brightly. He didn't like Lucius Malfoy, and he would love to see him in prison beside his twisted cousin Bella. It would be the best of day of his life if that happened, and it looked like it was going to.

Before Draco could say anything about this, Minerva spoke up. "Okay, we'll let the Ministry take care of that. What I want to know is how this Elf got in here," Minerva demanded.

Dobby was hiding behind Harry, using the boy's robes to cover his face. "Harry, you ask him," Sirius said, realizing the little elf would answer Harry before he'd answer any of the rest of them.

Harry nodded and asked, "How did you get in here?"

"Dobby has been hiding here since Harry Potter came to school. Dobby knows it is wrong because he hears his Master call his name, but Dobby needs to protect Harry Potter. So, that is what Dobby tries to do. Dobby couldn't when his Master was here because he would see Dobby and take Dobby back. So, Harry Potter got hurt. Dobby tried to help Harry Potter last night, but the others held Dobby captive. They are ordered by the Headmaster to stay in kitchen until he says otherwise," Dobby said.

Minerva nodded. "Is Albus wake?" she asked Madam Pomfrey.

"Last time I checked on him, no; but even if he were, he is very weak. I don't think he would be much help to us," Poppy said.

Minerva nodded and looked at the little elf. She asked Harry, "Can he bring us food from the kitchen?"

Harry looked at Dobby asked, "Can you?"

"Dobby can. Dobby can cook for Harry Potter and friends. It would take Dobby a moment, but he will do it," Dobby said, and before Harry could say another word, Dobby was gone.

The others around them shook their heads. "Well, if he can do it then good," Minerva said and then turned attention to the other problem getting out of there.

Professor Flitwick was looking at the map. He found it interesting, but to him it was unfinished. There were things missing, and he was working on how to add them. The twins were watching him. This was their baby as they saw it, or a baby they were keeping safe for the Marauders, so it was very important that no harm came to it. Besides, if they figured out how to change the map without harming it, it might come in handy one day.

Professor Flitwick didn't want to hurt it either. For him it was a great piece of magical artwork, or that was his opinion, so, he worked slowly, changing one area at a time. The first thing he did was show not only the people, but also the location of the house elves and ghosts. He wasn't shocked to see names of the founders hovering over Harry, Dudley and Neville's names. "Well, it proves that Lily's spell worked," Flitwick said, absentmindedly.

"What?" Minerva asked walking over.

"I managed to change the map a bit. It now shows house elves and ghosts. As you can see, the little elf is right. The elves are in the kitchen, and the Ghosts are in an area near the dungeon."

"The Death Party," Severus said.

"Oh, that," Minerva said shaking her head.

"What is the Death Party?" Harry asked.

"It is Sir Nicholas' death day party. He celebrates it every year. The trouble is he counts in 100's," Minerva said.

Harry was puzzled by this until Sirius answered, "You know 100, 200, 300 … and he starts over when he gets to 900," Sirius said laughing.

"Oh," Harry said, getting the picture; and to him it boiled down to one thing, and that was that Sir Nick was nuts.

"I'm afraid, Sir. Nicholas' death day party is going to last longer this year," Albus said walking from the first years' dorm area.

"You should be in bed," Madam Pomfrey said.

"I will rest soon enough," Albus said sadly. "But for now, I want to help. I need to help."

Albus noticed the children around him had backed up. They were scared of him. This hurt Albs more than any spell ever could, for he loved them all. "Please, Minerva, allow me to help."

"Of course," she said, moving aside and allowing Albus to sit down at the table they were using.

As the Headmaster sat, he noticed Fawkes watching him. "I'm sorry old friend. I should have listened to your warning," he said.

Fawkes sang a sad song and flew over to land on the arm of the chair next to the Headmaster. "I've missed you, too, old friend. I hope you are happy with Harry."

Fawkes squawked and then flew away landing next to Harry. Albus nodded his head sadly and then turned his attention to the matter at hand. The Headmaster told the group his side of things. He told them about when it started and how Harry had helped him, or how he thought Harry had helped him. "If it weren't for the blood protection that Lily had placed on Harry, I would still be possessed by Voldemort."

"It wasn't because of my mother. It was Godric. The spell that was used to bond him to me made it impossible for the Heir of Slytherin to touch me. Godric knows how I survived the killing curse, but he won't tell me," Harry said.

Albus nodded, "So, you talk to him?"

"No, not the way you think. He is like a voice in my head. He comments on things now and then, but other than that, I can't talk to him," Harry said.

"The same for me," Neville said.

"Me too," Dudley replied.

Albus nodded, "Well, I wasn't so lucky. I could talk to Voldemort. I would call him Tom, but I realize now the boy I knew is gone. He was taken over by Salazar's spirit years ago. He is no longer Tom Riddle. The trouble is, Salazar is not himself either. I think the worse parts of who they were survived the night the Potters were attacked."

"How do we stop him?" Severus asked.

"By going to the Chamber of Secrets and destroying the Diary before he finishes taking my life force," Albus said. Minerva touched the old man's shoulder, and he smiled up at her. "If that happens, they can still destroy him but it will be a bit more difficult."

"So, you are still connected," Severus, asked.

"Yes, but he already knows that the boys are coming. He knows because they have to come," Albus said.

Harry nodded, as did the other two. "We know. They know," Harry said speaking of the ghosts of the founders.

"We want to help," Fred and George, said.

"Me, too," Ron said.

And one by one, Harry's friends spoke up, but Harry shook his head. "No, you have to help to get everyone out of here."

"How?" Ron asked.

"The passageways," Sirius said looking at the map. He noticed several, but not all of them, were missing. Could this mean they were still open? He didn't know, but it might worth the risk.

"What are you talking about?" Severus asked.

Sirius explained about the passageways that he and his friends had found. He explained that they had included them on the map.

Albus smiled, his eyes twinkling for the first time in months. "Voldemort doesn't know them. I was able to keep this and some other information from him. He always tried to get it, but I used a little of my strength to protect that from him."

"So, we have a chance," Minerva said.

"If we can get past the castle defenses," Flitwick pointed out. The others nodded and so the planning began. Albus told them about the Chamber of Secrets and where to find it. Sirius was picking the best passageway to use, but it would take everyone working together to do it. If they made it, then they could get home, but it they didn't then they would lose.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Dobby delivered the kids a good hot lunch. The Professors figured that after the kids ate, they would start getting everyone together and ready to make the long trek down to the first level and then to the secret passageway, that Sirius had picked out to get everyone out. The group would stay together until they got to the first level, and then they would split up. Since Fred and George admitted they knew of this passageway, they would help guide everyone to it. Professor Snape, Professor McGonagall and Sirius would go with Harry, Dudley and Neville to help destroy Voldemort.

It took a good half-an-hour after eating for everyone to finally get ready to leave. Professor McGonagall had the seventh years help the wounded; the sixth years paired up with the first years, the fifth with the second, and third and forth years paired up. She didn't want any student walking without a partner. Also, there would be two professors or seventh year students partnered with each group of students.

They would stay together as much as possible; and everyone was informed that they might have to do some fighting, so the professors made sure that each student knew a few defense spells just in case. The ones that didn't know any defensive spells had a partner who did; the plan ensured that everyone was protected much as possible.

Finally, it was time to get moving. Minerva walked around to make sure everyone had a partner and their wands ready. Once she was finished, she walked to where Albus sat resting until it was time to go. She helped him to stand up, draping his blacken hand over her shoulder. "Are you sure you don't want to be levitated?" She asked him.

"No, I am fine," Albus assured her.

"Alright," Minerva said, and they started to move.

Outside Gryffindor's tower the castle had changed; it was now dark and gloomy. The paintings hissed at them as they walked by. Harry was the only one who understood what they said, and he had refused to repeat any of it. The kids all looked at the paintings with fear and worry on their faces.

"Where is the armor?" Erin asked her partner.

"I don't know?" Penny Clearwater said with the same fear on her face as her year partner.

The kids kept on walking in silence; everyone kept their eyes open for trouble. Percy was holding Ginny's hand tightly. He knew his parents would want him to protect her and he hoped he could. Ginny heard him muttering the protection spells he knew under his breath. This alone told her that her brother was scared. Knowing that he was scared helped her, for if he was scared, she felt it was okay to be scared too; and she was.

About the same time, the Gryffindors were getting together to head towards the secret passageway, Remus, Mad-Eye, Arthur and Hagrid were just about to enter the Candy shop where the passageway was located, when Kingsley and Tonks showed up, "Run out of chocolate?" Kingsley asked the group.

Mad-Eye laughed. "Yes, so if you don't mind … we're in a hurry," Moody said.

"Well then, I think we're going to join you," Kingsley told the retired Auror while smiling.

Kingsley was no one's fool. He knew Remus had a way into Hogwarts. He over heard him trying to tell the others in charge who had refused to listen to him. He figured Remus would get together with people he knew, and they would do it themselves. Kingsley wanted to be with them; he knew that inside that castle was a pack of trouble.

"Alright, but you will take your orders from me," Mad-Eye said.

"Yes, Sir," Kingsley and Tonks said in unison.

Mad-Eye nodded and the group entered the shop. The shop owner wasn't there. He was by the castle with everyone else, so it was easy for them to make it to the back room and then to passageway. Arthur couldn't help but wonder if his sons knew about this passageway. If they did, he hoped they were honorable enough to pay for anything they took.

It was hard for Hagrid to get into the passageway; he had to almost crawl to get through, but for his friends at the school he was willing to do it. Progress was slow going but they finally made it through. Mad-Eye wasn't about to let anyone leave the opening until he knew what was on the other side. "Nothing," he said, "but the castle looks different."

"How?" Remus asked.

"I don't know, but be ready for anything," Mad-Eye said, pulling out his wand.

The group nodded, and one-by-one everyone exited the tunnel. If they didn't know better, they would have said this wasn't Hogwarts because the place was so dark and gloomy. It was as if the life was being sucked from the castle.

"Where do we go?" Kingsley asked, looking down the hallway.

"The Great Hall is that way," Tonks said, pointing to her right.

Remus looked around sniffing. "This way," he said, going left.

"Are you sure," Arthur asked.

"Yes, I am," Remus, said. There was a plus to being a werewolf. He had an excellent sense of smell. He could smell Padfoot just about anywhere, and his nose told him where to find him now. Remus knew if he found Padfoot, he would find the others.

Since everyone had figured out Remus' little problem by this time, they figured the werewolf knew something they didn't; and unlike Umbridge, they didn't see anything wrong with it. They followed him while looking out for trouble.

A few floors up, Sirius noticed the names appearing on the map and smiled. "Help is here," He said to the group behind him.

"Who?" Albus asked.

"Remus, Mad-Eye, Hagrid, Arthur, Kingsley and Tonks," Sirius said, reading the names from the map.

"Good," Minerva said.

"Perfect timing," Severus Snape said, pointing down the hall to see an army made up of suits of armor waiting for them.

"Damn," Sirius muttered.

"Get ready," Minerva said to the group behind her.

The kids behind her all prepared for trouble. The older kids, holding their wands at the ready, stood in front of the younger ones. The wounded and the petrified people were behind them with Madam Pomfrey ready to tend and help anyone who might need it.

The armor started forward, their swords and shields poised before them ready for battle. The Professors didn't wait for an attack. They started sending spells flying at the armor and doing everything they could to either stop them or slow them down. The older students were helping, but it was slow going. The armor would repair themselves and start marching again.

"They are not stopping," Carl Andrews, a seventh year Hufflepuff, said.

"I have an idea," Harry said, and he whispered in Dudley's ear.

Dudley groaned and pulled out a bag from his pocket. He handed it to Harry and said, "You will replace them, right?"

"Yes," Harry said.

"Can you multiply these?" Harry asked the professors.

"What are they?" Minerva asked, looking at the small, round, stone-like things.

"Marbles, they roll great, and it's hard to walk on them. Uncle Vernon fell down the stairs at home and broke his leg a few years ago … after stepping on a bunch of them," Harry said leaving out the part that Vernon blamed him for it, but in reality, it was Dudley's fault. He spent a month in his cupboard for that little stunt.

Sirius took the stones and said, "Let's try it."

The armor was almost on them, so Sirius quickly sent the marbles rolling, and the Professors and Students cast a spell that multiplied them. The moment the marching armors' feet stepped on the marbles, they started to slip and slide all over the place. They couldn't stand, and a gap appeared in the group.

"Move," Sirius called out to the kids.

The kids started to run while holding their partners' hands tightly. At that moment, Mad-Eye, Remus and the others came around the corner. Hagrid moved forward to help the kids. He grabbed for one of the suits of armor and threw it into its friend near by. This helped make more room for the kids to get past.

Mad-Eye looked at Tonks, "You gather a group together and take them to the tunnel," he ordered.

"Yes, Sir," Tonks said, doing as Mad-Eye ordered. She took a group of nearby kids and headed off.

This was how it went until everyone was finally by the opening. Albus was worn out by this time. He felt himself fading, and knew that Voldemort was slowly pulling what was left of his life-force from him.

"You need to get going," Albus said to the group.

Severus nodded and started away from the others. "Where are they going?" Mad-Eye asked.

"The Dark Lord, the boys here are our only hope," Severus snarled.

Mad-Eye noticed Minerva was going with them and said, "You stay with the kids. I'll go with the others," he said.

"I'll go," Kingsley said.

"Me, too," Hagrid and Remus said in unison. The pair had to smile at each other at this, and they joined the others getting ready to go to wherever they had agreed to go.

Minerva nodded agreeing with them as she helped to support the Headmaster once again. "Come on, children," she said to group around her, and they started to leave through the tunnel toward safety.

* * *

Voldemort was down in the Chamber of Secrets. He was there but he wasn't. He was solid but he wasn't. It was only a matter of time before he could finish with Albus. The old man was stronger than he first realized. He should have passed on by this time, but Voldemort knew Albus was still moving around. This would change soon, and then the old man would die.

Voldemort knew the others were leaving the castle with the Headmaster. It didn't matter if any of them left. He didn't care who left, as long as the little heirs didn't leave. It was them he wanted. He knew they would have help coming here to face him. He would let his pet take care of them, but the boys were his and his alone.

* * *

Once he had destroyed them, he would be immortal. He would pull the rest of the power from Hogwarts and have enough power to control the world. He laughed at this and petted his snake's head. "They are coming, my love," he hissed. "They will be here soon." The snake hissed and rested at the ghostly figures' feet and waited for the arrival of the food that she had been promised.

As the group walked, Mad-Eye and the others, who just joined them, were filled in on what was going on. Remus looked at Sirius and asked, "This is a joke, right?"

"No, and the things James tried to tell us all those years ago were the truth," Sirius said sadly.

"We should have listened," Remus said, noticing Harry rubbing something inside his pocket. "What do you have there?"

"My snitch and Mom's diary; I just feel like we might need them," Harry said.

"Oh," Remus said, and the group kept on walking.

"That snake might be blind, but it's still dangerous," Kingsley said.

"Yes, be careful. Basilisks have a great sense of smell; and once they get on your trail, they are almost impossible to loose," Mad-Eye said.

"Great," Neville said dreading this. He would do it, but that didn't mean he wasn't scared. He looked at his friends and realized they were scared as well. Well, at least he wasn't alone.

The group walked to the girl's bathroom on the second floor as Albus had told them to. Mad-Eye walked to the sinks and checked them out. "This one looks like it's the one," Mad-Eye said.

"How do you know?" Severus asked.

"It has a snake on the tap," Mad-Eye said, his magical eye on the potion master.

"Well, go for it, Harry," Dudley said.

Harry took a deep breath and hissed, 'Open!'

The sink slowly sunk into a compartment in the floor and an opening appeared. It was a pipe opening, and as Sirius stuck his nose down the opening and sniffed. He said, "I think something died down there."

"Did you have to say 'died'?" Harry complained.

"Sorry, Pup," Sirius said.

"Who goes first?" Dudley asked.

Everyone looked at each other, and finally all eyes were on Mad-Eye. Moody grunted. "Alright, I'll go," He said, and he jumped down opening and vanished from view.

* * *

One-by-one, Arthur helped the children exit the passageway and entered the Candy Shop's back room. "Go into the other room," He told the kids as they passed him. Arthur gave his daughter and sons quick hugs as they walked by him before sending them with the others.

Finally though, the kids were safe and everyone was together. It was then they started to leave the shop and head back towards the castle, where everyone who feared the worst was waiting. It was Madam Bones who first stopped the group as it was advancing toward her and the others. She saw her niece Susan, and a smile spread across her face. "Susan," Madam Bones cried out, rushing to the girl.

This caused a stampede of people rushing to the group coming at them. Molly reached her children and, one-by-one checked them over. "I'm glad you're safe," she said, kissing each one of them. Ron tried to move away, but it was useless; his mother wasn't about to let him get past without a hug and kiss. Molly looked at Arthur and asked, "Where are the others?"

"They are still in there with Harry, Neville and Dudley," Arthur said, seeing Petunia and Mrs. Longbottom standing near by. The women nodded, knowing the boys would be staying to help, but that didn't make them feel any better. They looked at the castle and hoped the boys were safe.

* * *

Harry, Dudley and Neville were walking on Rat bones at this moment, and they weren't happy. Sirius was thinking of another rat. He couldn't help it. He figured it would be nice if Peter would end up as meal for a fifty-foot snake. It would be almost fitting.

As the group walked, they found a snakeskin lying on the ground. Severus gently touched it; his eyes gleaming as only a potion master would. The skin could help him brew potions that were rare and very profitable. "If we get out of this," Severus muttered to himself.

"What do you mean 'if'?" Dudley asked.

"Nothing is written in stone," Severus said to the boy. "We could all still die."

"Great," Dudley said, his face pale.

"Enough talk, let's keep moving," Mad-Eye said.

Remus, Sirius, and Severus were in the lead with the boys in the middle; and Mad-Eye, Kingsley and Hagrid were behind them. Mad-Eye would have loved to be in the lead but, because of his leg, he found it almost impossible to walk down there in the tunnel. He was forced to walk with the others, protecting their backs and watching out for anything that could sneak up behind them.

Hagrid was so tall that his head almost touched the ceiling, and at one point it did, and almost cost for the group tragically. Hagrid didn't realize that the ceiling was as unstable as it was, or he might have ducked when he entered the lower part of the tunnel. He didn't. So when his head tapped against a massive rock hanging low on the ceiling, it caused a cave in.

"Move," Severus said grabbing Dudley by the shoulder and pushing him out of the way of falling rock as the ceiling came crashing down.

Remus had grabbed Neville and Sirius had grabbed Harry, so the six of them were free from the rocks. Sadly, there was no sign of Mad-Eye, Kingsley or Hagrid. Sirius walked over to the now-blocked passageway and called, "Moody, are you okay?"

There were several grunts, and Moody soon called out obviously upset, "Yes, but my bad leg is trapped."

"How are the others?" Remus asked.

"I'm fine, but one of the rocks hit Hagrid on the head. I think he's okay, but he's out cold," Kingsley called, checking over the half-giant.

"Get going! Don't worry about us; we'll catch up with you," Mad-Eye ordered.

"He's right," Remus, said. "This isn't a place to run into that snake."

Sirius nodded, and the three adults and three boys started walking. Harry was nervous, and he started to pet Fawkes, who had been on his shoulder since he left the Gryffindor common room.

"Are you okay?" Dudley asked his cousin.

"Yeah, but I think we're getting closer. My skin is starting to tingle," Harry said.

"Same here," Neville said.

"Me, too," Dudley said. "I wonder if the founders know this as well."

"They do," Neville said, suddenly hearing a reply for Helga Hufflepuff. _'Salazar is close.' _Harry and Dudley nodded, and the boys kept on walking while keeping their eyes open for trouble.

* * *

As parents found their children, Fudge stormed over to where Minerva and the Professors were located. Minerva was slowly helping Albus to the ground as Fudge approached. "What's going on in there?" Fudge snapped, looking at Albus for answers.

Albus couldn't give them an answer. He was too tired and too worn out. He noticed his brother standing behind Fudge and looking worried. "Tell, Helga I love her and that I'm sorry," Albus said, and he closed his eyes as he passed out.

Madam Pomfrey quickly moved forward to take over tending to him. "I knew this move would be too much for him," she said, worried as she worked. After a few moments, she looked up at Minerva and commented quietly. "I think he is dying."

Fudge paled at this. He had assumed that whatever had happened in that school, Albus had done everything he could to help save the people, and now he was dying because of it.

Minerva was worried, but only because Albus was her friend. She had long given up seeing him as the hero of the Wizarding World. He was human, and he wasn't prefect. She sat down on the grass beside her old friend and held his hand. She would be beside him, she promised herself, to the end. It was the least she could do for him.

Since Albus was unable to answer his questions, Fudge turned to the others and started getting the story from them. The Aurors were doing the same thing with the children who were able and willing to talk. People everywhere were listening as the story of the last few days inside the castle unfolded for them.

By the time the story was finished, everyone including Fudge was looking at the Headmaster with a different look. They were looking at him with hate and distrust. Only a few had looks of pity on their faces for the man they once knew and trusted. Arthur and Molly were some of those people. Arthur had walked away from Albus, and he didn't regret it. He just regretted thinking the old Professor was more than what he really was. Arthur now realized that Albus was just a human being able to make mistakes just like the rest of them.

* * *

The group came to a door that had no handle or other visible way to open it. Harry walked up and hissed once again. _Open! _

The locks on the door slowly started to pull back and it swung open. Sirius, Remus and Severus all pulled their wands, bracing themselves for trouble. No one moved at first until a voice called out to them. This voice was evil and soulless. Severus knew the voice well.

"Enter," Voldemort said from the Chamber room. The six of them looked at each other with apprehension on their faces. Then slowly they entered the room and came face to face with Lord Voldemort.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

The adults were in the lead, blocking the boys with their own bodies as they entered the room. The snake wasn't in sight, but that didn't mean it wasn't there. They saw the diary that Professor Dumbledore had told them about. It was resting at the foot of the statue of Salazar Slytherin, and seated on a stone throne nearby was Voldemort. He was solid now. He had a body, and soon he would have all the power he would ever need.

"Hello, traitor," Voldemort said eyeing the potions master coldly.

Severus didn't reply. He knew his time as spy was up. He had come down here with the knowledge that the Dark Lord would know all about him. He couldn't lie to the man about his actions, not after everything he had done since school started. Voldemort might have believed him if he hadn't seen Severus in action for himself.

"Hello, My Lord," Severus said calmly, standing blocking Dudley with his own body.

Voldemort laughed. "I'm not your Lord. Soon, I won't need you or any of the others, so you can die like the rest," Voldemort said and then a cold evil smile came across his face. "But first, I think I will reward you for all your help. "Crucio" Voldemort hissed, as he raised his wand casting the curse at Severus. The wand that he was holding was Salazar Slytherin's wand. It had been Slytherin's extra wand; he had hidden it in the Chamber of Secrets a millennia ago.

Severus went to his knees and cried out in pain as the spell hit him. Dudley raised his own wand and doing as the voice in his head ordered, cast a spell that the first year could not have known without someone's intervention. It was spell that had been long forgotten. "Praemedicatus!" Dudley called out.

Voldemort's spell was broken and the man stood there glaring at the boy. "I assume your protector is doing that. Hello, Rowena. How is death?" Voldemort hissed.

"Better for me, than it will be for you," Dudley said speaking in a voice that was not his own.

Remus helped Severus to his feet and the potions master nodded his thanks as he stood. Harry and Neville moved from behind the men and went to stand front and center along with Dudley. Harry spoke up, but it wasn't Harry any more. It was Godric. "Hello, Salazar. I see the end has finally come."

"For you," Salazar hissed.

"Maybe, but if leaving is our path, then so be it. You are the one who is afraid of what lies on the other side." Neville said sounding like Helga Hufflepuff.

"If the three of you weren't so afraid of what lies ahead, why didn't you leave?" Salazar demanded of them.

"You know why. We stayed to protect our Heirs," Rowena said.

"Yes, and to make sure you didn't win," Godric said.

"Oh, I am going to win because you three are in bodies of boys who haven't learned how to control their magic yet," Salazar said, and he hissed. _'Pet, come to me.' _

Everyone backed up as opening appeared at the foot of the statue's feet, and the snake slowly came into the room.

"Man, that's big," Remus, said.

"Told you," Sirius said, for once in his life wishing he had been wrong.

Harry turned to Neville and Dudley, his eyes were glowing a golden-tinted green and said, "You take care of the snake. We'll get Voldemort."

After seeing what Dudley had done, and hearing the boy's voice changed, the men realized that maybe it might be a good idea to do what was asked of them, so they just nodded their heads and braced themselves to take out the snake.

Severus asked, "How?"

"Fawkes," Harry said speaking in Godric's voice, "Go get it!"

Fawkes sang his song, took off from Harry's shoulder, and flashed away. The movement of the bird sent the snake heading in that direction.

"Move!" Remus yelled, and everyone scattered.

Voldemort laughed as his pet bit at the air and just barely missed the person who had been just been standing there. He knew eventually that it would get one of them. It was only a matter of time.

Harry, Dudley and Neville stayed together, moving away from the snake and talking to each other.

"What do we do?" Dudley asked, in control again.

"I think we let them do the work," Harry said.

"No, they can't. It will harm us," Neville said. "They can only do it for a little bit. It is going to be up to us to destroy him."

"Great," Harry said, thinking as he looked around the room for anything they could do to destroy Voldemort.

It was then that Dudley noticed Professor Dumbledore standing behind him. The old man was a ghost of sorts. He looked tired and worn out. He was pointing to the statue. There growing out of it was a vine of a strange plant.

"Look at what the Headmaster's pointing to," Dudley said.

Neville recognized it. It was Devil's Snare. The boy bit his lip and said, "Guys, I hope you won't think I'm crazy, but I have an idea.

"We won't think you're crazy," Harry said. "What is it?"

"I can talk to plants. I think if I can get close enough to that plant. I might be able to get it to help us."

"How do you know you can talk to plants?" Harry asked.

"I do it at home, and they listen to me. I know it sounds strange, but I can do it," Neville said.

"Not any stranger then Harry talking to Snakes or Frogs," Dudley pointed out.

"You've got a point," Harry said, and he thought about things. "Well, Voldemort hates me. I'll keep him busy. You to do what you have to do, but remember … don't take too long," Harry said, and he started towards Voldemort.

Meanwhile, the three men were at this moment running down a dark tunnel with the large snake behind them. "Where is that bird," Severus growled as he ran, the snake inches away from taking a chunk out of his leg.

Fawkes flashed suddenly in front of the potions master and dropped the sorting hat on his head. "What this?" Severus said, pulling it off his head.

"Let me see," Sirius said, looking at the hat with puzzlement. Severus threw the hat at Sirius and the man caught it. "What, do we do feed it to him?"

The hat spoke up, "No, you fool. I'm for the wolf!"

The men didn't have time to reply because they were out of room to run; they had arrived at a dead end. Remus, Severus and Sirius all stood, lined up with their backs to the wall with the snake coming up fast. Sirius passed the hat back to Severus. Severus passed it to Remus. Remus took it, and to him it felt heavy. He put his hand into the hat and felt something cool and hard. He grasped the object and pulled it out. Once he had it out, he realized it was Gryffindor's sword.

Remus didn't have time to think. He just acted. He shoved the sword at the snake just as it reached them, its mouth wide open and ready to bite into its pray. The sword hit home, shoving right into the roof of the snake's mouth. Remus' arm was cut open as he hit one of the fangs, but he didn't care. He knew by just looking at the snake that it was dead.

Remus pulled his arm out of the snake's mouth and dropped to the floor, holding his injured arm. The snake dropped to the ground as well, dead at the feet of the men. Sirius didn't care about the snake. He was worried about Remus and went to him.

"Remus, don't die on me. I can't be alone. I'm bad at being alone." Sirius cried as he kneeled down at his friend's side.

"I can't help it. I guess it's my time," Remus said, tired and weak. He couldn't keep his eyes open any longer. As Remus started to close his eyes, Fawkes flew over and landed on the man's arm. The phoenix started to cry, and its tears dropping into the wound. Remus winced, his eyes opening wide as the wound started to heal. "That hurts," Remus said, grabbing Sirius arm.

"What did he do?" Sirius asked Severus.

"I don't know," Severus said checking Remus out. "Phoenix tears have magical healing properties. So, it's possible that it is killing the poison that got into Remus blood because of the bite.

"I don't know what's going on, but I hurt," Remus said. "It's like my body is on fire."

"Come on, we need to get back to the boys. They might need us," Severus said, knowing this wasn't over yet, far from it.

"But Remus needs help," Sirius snapped.

"No, he's right. I'll be fine. You go and help Harry," Remus said, resting his head against the stonewall.

"Okay, but don't die on me, alright?" Sirius said.

"I'll be here, and take this," Remus said handing Sirius the sword. "It might come in handy."

"Okay," Sirius said, taking the sword from Remus' hand. He stood there with worry as Remus closed his eyes, resting against the wall as he fought the burning sensation that was flowing through him at that moment.

"Come on," Severus said to Sirius. Sirius nodded, and together the pair pushed their way past the dead snake and headed back to where they had left Harry and the others.

Now, the thought running through Harry's mind right before he confronted Voldemort was _**'Are you nuts!'**_ Harry had a feeling that this was his opinion of the matter rather than Godric's because Godric was giving him advice at the time about what to say that would aggravate Salazar the most.

Voldemort was still by his throne, but he was now standing up, hissing for his pet. He hadn't heard anything coming from the tunnel where she had vanished for some time now, and he was starting worry about her. He wasn't worried that she didn't finish the job that he had given her but that maybe she had gotten lost afterwards because of the fact she was blind.

"Hey, Voldemort, you forget about me?" Harry said walking toward the man while gripping his wand tightly.

Voldemort shot Harry a dirty look and said, "Oh, I see Godric still has his moral ethics and won't control you the way I controlled the old man."

"Yes, well. He said I don't need him as you needed the Headmaster. He said I'm very capable of defeating a wizard like you," Harry said with a cocky tone to his voice.

"Why, you little brat!" Voldemort yelled, sending spells flying towards the boy.

Harry ran and dodged as spell after spell flew past him. He kept on insulting Voldemort as he ran. "You really are slowing down. It seems your age is catching up with you. What are you now? 5000-years-old?" Harry asked.

This caused Voldemort to loose control even more and his spells got faster. Harry noticed the man wasn't moving too far away from the diary. _'So, you are still tied to it,'_ Godric's voice filled Harry's head. "Come on, Voldie, you can do better than that!" Harry called out.

Voldemort's next spell hit Harry. It was the Cruciatus Curse, and it knocked Harry off his feet. The boy cried out in pain and he hoped his friends would hurry.

By the time Voldemort's spell contacted with Harry, Dudley and Neville had reached the top of the statue where the plant was growing. "Hurry," Dudley said to Neville.

Neville nodded and looked at the planet; reaching out, he gently touched it. "Wake up friend. I need a favor from you," Neville said.

The plant moved and gently rubbed his thick vine against Neville's arm. "Yes, we are friends. I need you to help stop someone that wants to harm me. Would you please help me?" Neville asked.

The plant moved again as if answering 'yes' to Neville's question.

"Good; the man down below you is the one that wants to hurt me. Please make sure he can't move or hurt anyone," Neville said.

The plant started to move and head in Voldemort's direction. The boys watched as it moved. The thick vines slowly appeared at the foot of the statue and started to move towards Voldemort's feet. "Let's get down," Dudley said right then.

"Sure," Neville said, and together the boys climbed down.

Voldemort was putting all his hate towards Harry and Godric into his spell. Harry was screaming madly as the spell ripped through him. Godric was doing everything in his power to protect the boy's mind; if it didn't end soon, he knew there would be nothing he could do for Harry. Voldemort knew this as well and was just about to put more power into his spell, when suddenly something thick and strong grabbed his arm yanking it upwards, cutting the spell off from Harry.

Harry lay there panting as the spell ended. The boy opened his eyes to see the Devil's Snare vines wrapping around Voldemort, pinning the man in place. "Thanks guys," Harry said weakly looking up seeing his friends rushing down from the statue to join him.

Sirius and Severus exited the tunnel about the time the spell was pulled away from Harry. The men rushed to the boy's side just as Dudley and Neville reached him as well. "Harry, are you okay?" Sirius asked, helping Harry to his feet and dropping the sword on the ground in front of Harry.

"Yes," Harry said looking at the blood-covered sword. "Is that Basilisk blood?" Harry asked.

"Yes," Sirius said, glad to hear Harry speak. He knew some people that couldn't even move after spending even a short amount of time under the Cruciatus Curse.

"Good. Dudley, Neville, help me to my feet. I know how to destroy the diary, but we have to do it together," Harry said.

Before Sirius or Severus could get a chance to comment, the boys did as Harry asked and helped him up. They walked together over to the diary, holding the blood-covered sword tightly in their hands. Voldemort was cursing and fighting to get free at this time.

"No, you can't win. I will be the one to control Hogwarts, not the three of you …," He yelled repeatedly.

Harry and the boys all smiled, as Dudley said, "Not in this lifetime!" And together the three of them sent the sword right through the heart of the diary.

Voldemort screamed. His body immediately began to fade as the power and life-force that he had been pulling from the Headmaster was set free. The ghostly figure of Professor Dumbledore smiled and then suddenly disappeared.

As Voldemort faded, Harry and his friends dropped to the ground. Three ghostly figures came out of them, laughing and smiling. They had won, and they had protected their bloodlines. Harry looked up the ghost of the man he had talked to by the lake. "Where are they?" He asked.

"They will be here. You and the others just rest," Godric said to Harry. Harry nodded and drifted off to sleep. He was too weak and tired to keep his eyes open any longer.

_Thanks everyone for the great replies. I'm sorry that this one took longer to post then I planned. The weekend chapter will be posted on Friday... I have a bathroom to re-do. So, there will be no time before then to work on it... Have a good week and I hope you enjoyed the chapter so far... Oh, the exact chapter count on this 19 chapters but no worries there is a part three... the kids do have to finish their second year and deal with their third..._

_Marti_


	13. Chapter 13

Return of the Heirs

**Chapter 13**

It was dusk outside of Hogwarts. Professor Dumbledore was the only wounded survivor from the school left. He was resting on the ground with Minerva and Madam Pomfrey at his side. They had tried to move him, but something was keeping them from doing so. Madam Pomfrey was forced to tend for him there, but she felt it would do no good. He was going to die she thought.

Fudge and the others were standing around talking, trying to deal with the issue of the school. They seemed to have given up trying to get in. Fudge felt that they had saved everyone they could and there was nothing they could do for the others. This was the statement that he was planning to make to the press standing around watching anyway.

Fudge was just about to speak to the press when things started to happen. At first, no one noticed but slowly the Dark Mark that hung above the school started to flicker. It was a member of the press that pointed it out to Fudge. He and everyone around him turned to watch the school.

The mark faded and returned several times, but finally in a burst of bright light The Dark Mark was blowing apart, and a shield that covered the school made a resounding 'POP' as it vanished.

People gasped and started to cheer. The Castle wasn't done yet because after the castle was free of Voldemort's control, it started to change and grow. People watched in shock as towers vanished in one place to appear in another. The castle also started to grow outwards. It moved to the point that everyone standing around was forced to move back to the point that some people were now standing in the forest.

"What is going on?" A reporter who was standing near Petunia asked.

Petunia knew but she didn't comment. She had a bright smile on her face as she touched the locket that she wore around her neck; she knew that the boys had done it. They had finished what the Founders had started to work on centuries ago.

* * *

The others inside the castle were dealing with the changes that were happening inside. It was a few moments after Harry, Dudley and Neville had drifted off to sleep that the ground started to shake.

"What's going on?" Sirius asked, looking around in shock as the statue of Salazar Slytherin turned to dust."

"I think we needed to get out of here," Severus said.

"I agree," Sirius replied.

Sirius bent down to pick Harry up off the ground as he called out. "Moony! Where are you?"

Severus had bent down to pick Dudley up when Remus appeared. He looked tired and worn out; but other than that, he seemed fine. "What in the world is going on?" Remus asked, fighting to stay on his feet as the ground shook beneath him.

"We'll talk about it later. You need to grab Longbottom," Severus ordered, looking in dread towards the tunnel. He really would have loved to have the snake.

Remus rushed over the best he could and quickly bent to pick up Neville. He noticed the look on the potion master's face and said, "I shrunk the snake for you. It is safely inside my pocket."

Severus smiled one of his rare, true smiles and said, "Thank you, I will share the profits from the potions I make from the snake's remains with you."

"You don't have to," Remus said.

Before Severus had a chance to reply, Sirius broke in. "How about we finish this later, and get the hell out of here now," Sirius said starting towards the exit.

Fawkes and the Founders' Ghosts led the way out of Chamber of Secrets and started for the surface. The group rushed as fast as they could with the ground shaking beneath them. As they neared the area that had been blocked earlier by rocks, it was just starting to be cleared by Hagrid and the others.

"What's going on?" Mad-Eye demanded, as he noticed the others approaching.

"Tell you later, just get these rocks out of the way," Sirius yelled.

As if the castle heard him, the rocks that were blocking the pathway started to turn to dust right before everyone's eyes.

"What in the world!" Kingsley exclaimed.

"Later," Remus said, looking behind him and noticing that the tunnel that they had just left was slowly closing up. "I think we need to move."

"Agreed," Mad-Eye, said, and soon everyone was rushing back down the tunnel the way they had come.

None of them thought about how they were going to get out until they reached the tunnel shoot that they had slid down not that long ago.

"Now, what do we do?" Kingsley asked, looking for away out.

"This way," Godric said, going in the direction of an opening that everyone could have sworn that wasn't there the last time they had been in the tunnel.

The group didn't argue though. They just kept on moving, following the ghosts and the phoenix through a winding tunnel that finally led to a wild staircase. The staircase was like the one that led to the Headmaster's office. It started to move upwards the moment the last person had stepped on it.

The group was taken up and up and up until they stopped at a door. As Mad-Eye shoved it open, he had a stunned look on his face. No one understood why until they stepped through the door and they found themselves in the Great Hall. The group stepped into the room, and the moment they did, the door behind them vanished.

"What's going on?" Kingsley asked again, looking around the room as if seeing it for the first time.

In a way, he was, for this was not the Great Hall he knew, and it wasn't because of the damage that the snake had done the night before because all evidence of that was gone. The floor was back, solid again. The bodies of the dead were gone. They would be found later in the small room off to the side, covered in black cloths, resting side-by-side on wooden tables.

No, the reason Kingsley and the others were stunned was because the banners flying high above them. They were no longer the banners for Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor, and Hufflepuff houses instead, banners flew everywhere with the new school crest on it with all four house symbols locked together flying on them. It was a mixture of all the houses. The largest and most impressive example of the new school crest was located on the floor. It was dead center, exactly where the snake had broken through on Halloween night.

Godric and the other ghosts floated to the center and laughed, "It is finished. Hogwarts is back to her true state!" Rowena announced, laughing with joy as only a ghost could laugh.

Sirius stood there shocked, holding Harry and not knowing what in the world was going on. It took him a moment to notice that he was still shaking. It took him longer to realize that it was Harry who was shaking. Sirius put Harry down and looked at his Godson in shock. "What?" Sirius asked.

Remus and Severus decided to put Neville and Dudley down next to Harry, and they stood there together, puzzled, watching the strange event. Godric floated over and smiled. "Oh, yes," He said, as if remembering something very important. "Mr. Black, could you please remove Harry's snitch from his pocket."

"Sure," Sirius said, wondering what in the world was going on. He did what was asked of him. He reached in Harry's pockets and pulled out the snitch.

The snitch flew from Sirius' hands the moment it was free and started to fly around madly. The group watched it for a moment and then the snitch stopped flying and hovered in front of everyone then suddenly changed. It went from being a snitch to being James Potter. "Hi, guys," James, said to his friends.

There was suddenly a very loud thump as Remus, Sirius and Severus passed, out joining the boys on the floor. Mad-Eye laughed and said, "Now, this is a day that I won't forget. Welcome back, Potter!"

"Thanks, Moody," James said walking over and looking down at his son. "Is he going to be okay?"

"Yes, Harry is just a bit magically worn out at the moment," Godric, said, as he and the other founders' ghosts floated over to join the group.

Tonks asked, "How long will he be out?"

"Not long, my dear," Rowena said.

"No, the boys should wake up soon. We just spent too much of their energy conversing with Salazar. We knew it was wrong, but it couldn't be helped. That man has always had a way of pushing our buttons," Helga said.

James snorted back his laughter at this but didn't get a chance to comment before the doors of the Great Hall were pushed open and a crowd of people marched inside with Petunia, Fudge and Mrs. Longbottom in the lead.

The women started to run forward the moment they spotted the group gathered around the center of the Great Hall. "Dudley! Harry! James!" Petunia cried, rushing to the group, with tears in her eyes.

Petunia bent down next to Dudley. She looked up at Rowena's ghost and asked, "Lily?"

"Take off the locket my dear and allow James to change her back," Rowena said to Petunia.

Petunia did as requested and placed the locket on the floor in front of them. The group stunned into silence at seeing James Potter alive stood there watching as he pulled his wand from his robes and pointed it at the locket. After a few quick wand movements, a burst of light flashed from James wand hitting the locket. Suddenly, the locket on the floor vanished and in its place was Lily Potter.

Lily looked around stunned for a few moments trying to figure out what was going on then locked eyes on her husband. "Is it over?" she asked James, embracing him passionately.

"It worked," James, said kissing her.

As they parted Lily looked down to the floor where Petunia was kneeling beside Dudley and Harry. Lily bent down next to Harry gently brushed a stray hair from his face with a tears of joy in her eyes and said to her sister, "I missed you, Pet," Lily said using her sister's childhood nickname.

"I missed you, too," Petunia said, and both women started to cry even harder.

Mrs. Longbottom had reached Neville and was checking him over. "Is he okay?" she asked Helga.

"Oh, yes. He is fine, and I'm sure his father and mother are as well," the ghost replied.

"So, the spell will be broken?" Mrs. Longbottom asked.

"Yes, it will be broken. The heirs have returned," Godric said smiling.

Fudge was standing nearby, looking around the room in shock and disgust. "What is going on around here?" He demanded.

Godric's ghost floated over with a cocky smile on his face and faced the Minister of Magic. Fudge took a few steps back, and the ghost's smile grew wider as he said, "Let me tell you." And Godric did; he started with his time and ended with what happened in Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

Albus Dumbledore was in _St. Mungo's Hospital_, recovering from his ordeal. He was sitting up in bed this morning, looking at his blackened hand and thinking about his life. The Daily Prophet was on his lap with a massive picture of Hogwarts on the front page, and under it were printed these words … **Is this the last of Hogwarts?**

Albus didn't know the answer to that question, but he did know he wasn't going to be the headmaster anymore. Even if the school board could forgive him for everything that had happened, and if he managed to keep from being locked up in Azkaban, he couldn't forgive himself for everything that happened.

So, if he wasn't going back to Hogwarts, and if he didn't loose his freedom, what was he going to do? This was the question that Albus Dumbledore was thinking about when a tall woman with long white hair and a narrow face appeared in the doorway. It took him a bit to realize that she was standing there, and as he looked up, he tried to smile and said, "Hello, Helga."

"Hello, Father," Helga Dumbledore-Allworth said, as she walked into the room and sat down in a wooden high-back chair that was placed beside his bed.

"You didn't have to come," he told her.

"I did; because despite my feelings, you are still my father, and it is my duty as a daughter to be here for you in your time of need," she said formally.

Albus nodded at this, not knowing what to say to his daughter. It wasn't always like this though. Helga had been his favorite. She was his little girl. She was the only one who had survived when he had tragically lost his wife and other children when Grindelwald attacked his family home.

He knew that that was when he had started to pull away from the people around him. He hadn't wanted to hurt the way he was hurting, so he stopped letting people get close to him. The problem was that he had pushed the most important person in his life away from him. She was now here to be at his side. He couldn't help but wonder if it was too late to repair the damage he had done to their relationship.

"How is your arm?" Helga asked finally.

Albus lifted his blacken hand. "It does not hurt. I can't use it, because it is dead. The healers tell me that I'm lucky it was not worse. I could have lost my life," Albus replied.

"Uncle Aberforth explained things to me before I came here. He said that you were trying to get information about You-Know-Who and he took over your mind. The healers say you show signs of being possessed, so you might be able to talk your way out of being sentenced to Azkaban," Helga said formally.

Albus reached out to her, but she pulled away. "Please, Helga. I know I messed up, but can you give an old man another chance. I really do want you here," He said, tears appearing his eyes.

Helga forced herself not to react to his pleading. She had reached out too many times to find he wasn't there. She couldn't allow herself to reach out to him now; for her it was to late. She was only here because he was her father. "Do you really think a few words and tears will correct everything?" she asked him.

"No," Albus admitted. "I do hope that maybe you can give me a chance to make amends."

"Maybe, once we deal with the problems your life has presented, but until then I think we should work on figuring out a way to keep you out of Azkaban, don't you?" she asked.

"Yes, I think that is best," Albus said formally and calmly. He and his daughter sat there talking over what had happened at Hogwarts and how he could get people to believe his side of things.

Albus Dumbledore was not the only parent waiting to reconnect with his or her child. James and Lily were waiting to do the same thing. At the moment, Harry was fast asleep in his room at Rosewood Hall, sleeping off the effects of everything that had happened down in the Chamber of Secrets.

* * *

Lily was sitting in a chair beside her son's bed, watching him sleep as James stood looking out Harry's bedroom window. Harry's room faced the front of the house. All the windows of Rosewood Hall were magically tinted to prevent anyone from peeking in and seeing what was going on inside the house, so the press didn't see James watching them crowd around the front gate.

"Don't they have a life?" James asked as he turned away from the window and going back to his wife's side.

"That **is** their life; if they don't get the story, they don't get paid. Besides, things will die down soon; it will just take time," Lily said, patting the chair beside her.

James sighed as he sat down in the chair and looked at their sleeping son. "When is he going to wake up? I thought Madam Pomfrey said that he was okay?"

"Harry will wake up soon. He is just a bit worn out at the moment. Not many twelve-year-olds can face what he has and walk away without a scratch. Harry is a very lucky young man," Lily said, brushing a stray lock of hair out of Harry's eyes. "Why does he have to have your hair?"

"What's wrong with my hair? Besides, you can't have everything; he does have your eyes," James said as he ran his hand through his hair.

Before Lily could reply, Harry rolled over and buried his head under his pillow, fighting to go back to sleep. Lily and James both smiled at him, and Lily started to rub the boy's back as she said, "Come on, Harry. It's time to wake up."

"Five more minutes, Mum," Harry, muttered sleepily. Then suddenly Harry shot up out of bed exclaiming. "Mum!" The boy looked wide-eyed and scared at his mother; his mouth was moving, but no words were coming out.

James leaned over closed his son's mouth and said, "You better close that; you don't know what's around here that could fly into it."

"Dad?" Harry said, still in shock, but his mind was slowly starting to work again.

"Hi," James said, smiling a very cocky, sly smile.

"Mum … Dad …." Harry said, this time crying as he fell into the arms of his parents for the first since he was a baby.

Lily and James were crying as well, and the threesome sat together holding each other as the emotions flooded over them. Finally they pulled apart, and Lily dried Harry's eyes with her finger, "I thought Godric told you we were coming back?" she asked her son.

"He did, but I didn't really believe him. I didn't think it was possible," Harry said.

"To us Potters, anything is possible," James replied.

"Oh, you," Lily said, giving her husband a shove in the shoulder.

"Hey, don't blame me. I'm not the first one to say it. It was my father. He said it all the time," James said, rubbing his shoulder, pretending that Lily's hit had hurt him.

Lily rolled her eyes as Harry giggled. Harry remembered something, and the smile on his face suddenly faded. Lily looked at the boy and asked, "What is wrong?"

"Uncle Vernon," Harry said meekly.

Lily slipped onto the bed beside her son and wrapping her arms around him. "We know about your Uncle Vernon," Lily said holding Harry.

"And Aunt Petunia?" Harry asked.

"Yes, and about your Aunt Petunia … she told us everything the moment we arrived here at Rosewood Hall," James said. What James wasn't telling Harry was that during the time Petunia told Lily and James this, she was close to hysterics. She was afraid that Lily would hate her. It had taken Lily a good hour after Petunia stopped talking to her sister to calm down enough to talk about it rationally. By the time things had calmed down, James was ready to hunt down Vernon and kill him. Lily had talked him out of it and promised they would deal with 'that Muggle' later.

"So, are you mad at her?" Harry asked.

Lily looked at James and then her son and said, "No, because Petunia did the only thing she could do at the time. She had no magic, and there was no one around who could protect you, her or Dudley. So, she was forced to live with your Uncle. She did change things when the time was right."

"And that is the only thing that matters," James said, messing his son's hair up.

"Hey, I worked hard on that," Harry said.

James laughed, and soon father and son were having a pillow fight with Lily helping Harry out by trying to pin James down. It didn't take long for the three of them to be rolling on the floor of Harry's bedroom, laughing and crying with joy.

Petunia walked in about this time with a rare smile on her face. "Breakfast is ready, if anyone cares," she said.

"Food!" Harry and James said together, and soon the two were running down the stairs, each trying to beat the other to the sunroom.

Lily stood up and dusted her robes off, laughing. "Has Dudley woken up yet?" Lily asked her sister.

"Yes, he's already downstairs having breakfast," Petunia said, stepping out of the way to allow her sister to pass by.

The two women walked down the hallway together, heading for breakfast and talking as they went. "So, how did Harry take you being alive?" Petunia asked.

"He was shocked at first, but I think Godric told him it was going to happen, so he wasn't too shocked to find us alive. He did bring up Vernon," Lily said.

"I figured he would, and what did you tell him?" Petunia asked hesitantly.

"The same thing I told you. You did what you had to because there was no one to protect you," Lily said wrapping her arm around her sister's shoulder. "Now, let's get some breakfast before the men in the house finish it off before we can get any."

"Alright," Petunia said, and the two sisters entered the sunroom and joined the men at the table.

* * *

As breakfast ended, Harry finally got a chance to ask his parents exactly how they survived the night that Voldemort attacked. James explained that his parents' house elves had used their magic to change themselves into Lily and James. It was them, the house elves, who had faced Voldemort the night of the attack.

James had already changed Lily into the locket, and Snip had changed James into the snitch. James had written in his will that he wanted Harry to receive the snitch on his sixth birthday but it didn't happen that way. James didn't know if it was Albus' doing or because Vernon would have never allowed any magical item in the house. During the Potters' funeral, Albus had given the locket and a letter written by Lily to Petunia. The letter had explained everything, and Petunia had kept the locket with her ever since.

"So, you knew Peter was the traitor?" Harry asked.

"I had a hunch. I tried to warn Sirius about it, but he thought it was impossible that it could be Peter," James said.

"That's why I was laughing my head off when the Ministry arrested me," A voice from the hallway called. Sirius and Remus walked into the room together, dusting the soot off their robes. "Man, I hate traveling by floo."

"We could have faced that mob at front gate," Remus said.

"No, thank you," Sirius said as he sat down at the table, swiping a bacon strip from James' plate. "How's it going Prongs?"

"Fine, Padfoot," James said, slapping his friends fingers just as he was about to take another piece of bacon.

Sirius snarled at this, but he didn't have too much time to complain because suddenly a plate full of food was placed in front of him and Remus. "I love house elves," Sirius said as he started to dig into the food.

"You mean you love **my** house elves. If I remember correctly, you hate your house elf, I believe his name is Kreacher," James said.

"Kreacher is my mother's house elf, and all he does is walk around crying that she isn't there. I swear. He should just mount his head on the wall and get it over with," Sirius said.

James shook his head. "You haven't changed Padfoot. You still have this dark side about you."

"Yeah, well Kreacher made my life at home a living hell. He always found a way of getting me into trouble with mother, and sometimes I didn't even do anything," Sirius said.

"When are you going to grow up, Sirius?" Lily demanded.

"Um …" Sirius said, thinking about her question for a moment before answering, "Never!"

"You might as well give up on him. You won't win this argument," Remus said.

James nodded in agreement as Harry asked, "Why do you say that Sirius should allow his house elf to put his head on the wall?"

"It is like this, Son. House elves are bound for life to a wizard or witch, and at the death of their master or mistress, the House Elves usually are allowed to pass on as well; that is, if the next master allows them to. Some don't, and they force the house elf to bond with them, instead. It does save the house elf from going mad, but they are not as loyal as they were to their original masters," James said.

"And if they aren't bonded with the new master?" Harry asked.

"They go mad and stop doing any work. If my hunch is correct, the House of Black hasn't been cleaned in properly in years because of this," James said, giving his friend a dirty look. Sirius was just enjoying his meal with a sly smile on his face. "Yeah, I figured as much."

"So, is that why your parents' elves turned themselves in to you?" Dudley asked.

"Yes, because to them it was the best way for them to complete their oath to my parents and join them in the after life," James said.

"You see boys, James' parents asked their house elves to protect James and the Potter bloodline even after their deaths," Lily said.

"So, is that why Dobby does what I asked him to do at the school, and why he doesn't want to serve Mr. Malfoy?" Harry asked.

At this the house elf in question appeared at Harry's side, "Harry Potter wish to see Dobby?" Dobby said all excited.

Snip and Sheers appeared right then, screeching madly and berating Dobby, "Bad Elf!"

Dobby hid behind Harry, burying his head in the boy's nightshirt. James and the other adults looked at each other in shock. Before the house elves could attack Dobby, James held up his hand and called them back. "Stay back," He ordered. James motioned Dobby over to him, and Dobby slowly compiled.

"Harry Potter's father wants something from Dobby?" Dobby asked.

"Yes, but first I need to check something out about you. Are you willing to stand still and allow me to do it?" James asked as he pulled out his wand.

"Dobby won't move," Dobby said.

"Thank you," James said, and he did a scan on the elf.

Snip's and Sheers' looks of distrust started to fade, and they started to cry. Snip rushed to Dobby's side and started crying madly. "My yearling," Snip cried. Sheers soon joined her, and the three stood together crying and hugging each other.

"What's going on?" Harry asked his father.

"Dobby is Snip's and Sheers' son," James answered.

Harry finally understood. Dobby was not only stolen from Harry's family home the night of the attack. He was stolen from his parents. "Mr. Malfoy needs to pay for that," Harry said, smiling a sad smile at Dobby and his parents.

"He will," James promised. He was going to make a formal complaint at the inquiry that the Minister had called for that was to take place in a few days.

"What will happen to Dobby?" Dudley asked.

Petunia stood up walked to a nearby table and picked up a quill and parchment. "A member of the Department for Regulations and Control of Magical Creatures is one of the Evans' family seated Lords. I will write to him and asked him to come over," Petunia said.

"That's a good idea," Lily said.

"Who is he?" James asked.

"Amos Diggory," Petunia said.

"Cedric's father?" Harry asked.

"Who is Cedric?" James asked.

"The Hufflepuff Seeker that caught me when the Bludger knocked me off my broom during a Quidditch match at school," Harry said, and he quickly filled his parents in on what had happened in his last Quidditch match.

"That's my boy," James said, hearing that Harry had caught the snitch right before the bludger caught up with him.

"Can we trust this Amos?" Lily asked, ignoring James and Harry for the moment. She didn't want to think that her son would love that disgusting game as much as her husband did, but form the smile on the boy's face, it was obvious that he did!

"This will be a good test for him," Petunia said, and her sister nodded. She knew Petunia, and knew that if this man didn't do what Petunia asked in this matter, he wouldn't hold a seat for The Evans' Lord for more than a year; she would get rid of him very quickly.

* * *

At this moment, the trouble Dobby could cause Lucius was far from Lucius' mind. He was trying to figure out what to do with his daughter Erin. He wanted to dump her off at one of the year-around Boarding Schools overseas, for having had the gall to be placed in Gryffindor House, but his wife wasn't going for it. She wanted Erin to go to Hogwarts, and nothing would change her mind.

"Narcissa, my love, see it from my point of view. Do you have any idea what people will think of me for having a child in Gryffindor House?" Lucius begged.

"What will people think if they find out you gave up your powers for ten years to that Dark Lord of yours?" Narcissa snapped.

Lucius paled even more than normal and backed up saying, "You wouldn't tell them, would you?"

"Not if you don't force me too," Narcissa said in a matter-of-fact tone of voice before going on. "I have kept quiet up until now about your choices in life dealing with your Dark Lord. I have watched the man I loved turn into a cold-hearted monster. I watch you try and turn my son into the same kind of monster. I refuse to allow you to take the one person in this world that means more to me than you from me. If you send our daughter away, I will leave you. You will have to find someone else to protect you from the people who would harm you."

Lucius reached out to his wife, but she pulled away. "Narcissa, has our marriage been that bad?" he asked.

"What do you think? I overhear you and the others talk about the attacks. How you enjoyed raping and killing those people. It sickens me when you come to our bed smelling of blood. I have watched Him destroy you and the others. I watched it drive my sister mad. Have you ever wondered why I never took the mark?" Narcissa asked.

"I only assumed it because you wanted to be near the children," Lucius said.

"No; it was because I don't believe in following a man like your Dark Lord without questioning a few things first, and do you know what I found?" she asked.

"No," Lucius said shaking his head.

Narcissa reached up, grabbing his left arm and exposed the scar where the Dark Mark had once been. It hadn't faded yet. It was still there for the entire world to see. "This mark is more than a mark of loyalty," Narcissa told her husband. "It bonded you to your Dark Lord. It is how he gained so much power. He fed off your hate and energy. The more you killed the more power he took from you. Do you know why he tortured you when you'd make one little mistake?"

Lucius shook his head. "No," he said calmly, but he wasn't calm. If his wife was right, then he was a fool.

"He did it because he new it would add to your hate. You would go out and take your anger out on the people that he wanted you to kill. So, tell me Lucius, is this the Lord you wanted serve?" Narcissa demanded.

"But he was helping us change our world for the better," Lucius said.

"Was he? Who has suffered the most from all of this? The Muggleborns? The half-bloods? Who? Where are my sister and her husband? Where are the others? They are all in Azkaban. The light side has more power in the Wizengamot because of it. You had to use a brain-dead fool such as Fudge to make sure you didn't end up there. Tell me Lucius; is your Dark Lord worth all of this?" She asked him.

Lucius Malfoy, with a look of pure disgust on his face, sat down in his high-back chair. He was sickened by everything he had done. "Why didn't you tell me this before?" he asked.

"I tried. You wouldn't listen. He had this hold on you that couldn't be destroyed. I know it has finally been broken because I see the changes in your eyes. Lucius, I still love you. I still believed that it is wrong to mix our blood and Muggle blood. The trouble is, we are so few now and they are so many. I think it's time we start rethinking a few things or we'll end up vanishing all together," Narcissa told him.

Lucius nodded. "You're right," Lucius agreed, but before he could say anything else someone knocked on the door. "Come!" he called. As Draco walked into the room, Lucius asked, "What is it, Draco? Your mother and I are having a private conversation."

"Sorry, Father, but I think you need to know something," Draco said, using one of his father's smaller canes for support. He was milking his leg injury in hopes of getting the new broom he wanted his father to buy him.

"What is it?" Lucius asked, trying to hide his frustration towards his son. In the short time that Draco had been home, Lucius had discovered that his son was nothing but a spoiled brat. The trouble was, Lucius knew it was his fault for how the boy had turned out. He had been trying so hard to form Draco into the perfect follower of the Dark Lord that he didn't see the type of person his son was becoming. He didn't like it, but how was going to change it before it was too late.

"When we were at the school, being forced to stay in Gryffindor's common room, Potter called for your house elf Dobby, and the elf came. The others asked him some questions, and the elf lied and said that you stole him and forced him to bond with you," Draco said.

Lucius nodded, suddenly feeling very sick. "Thank you, Son. I will deal with the elf," Lucius said calmly. "Why don't you go up and work on your school work or something," Lucius suggested.

"Yes, Sir," Draco said walking away with a smile. "Oh, Erin knew about this before everything came about."

"That is enough, Draco, leave," Narcissa snapped.

"Yes, Mother," Draco said, thinking his sister would be soon out of the home for good.

The moment Draco left, Lucius walked to the bar and poured himself a large glass of firewhisky. "What in the hell am I going to do now? The moment Potter gets wind of the fact that I stole his son's elf, he is going to go to the Minister and demand that I be arrested," Lucius said as he downed the drink.

Narcissa walked to the bookcase located on the far wall, took down a book, and handed it to her husband. "Here; open this," she said.

Lucius looked at the book and scoffed, "I don't need to learn how to knit," he said reading the title of the book, 1001 Magical Knitting Patterns.

"Have you ever seen me knit?" Narcissa asked her husband in a sarcastic tone of voice. "Open the book," Narcissa ordered.

Lucius opened the book and was shocked to see that it was hollow. Inside the book was a small hidden space, and inside that space there were notes about the Dark Mark and the effects it could have on a person.

As Lucius looked over the notes, Narcissa spoke, "Take those to my sister Andromeda Tonks and show them to her. Then tell her the truth about everything from the time you first took the Dark Mark up until the time the Dark Lord ordered you to give up your powers. Tell her that it wasn't until the death of the Dark Lord that you started to see things more clearly and that you regret everything you have ever done in his name."

"Do you think she would believe me?" Lucius asked.

"It doesn't matter if she believes you or not. She will defend you because she is my sister, and she knows my handwriting. She would know that I did that research. She knows that I would have been an Unspeakable if I hadn't married you. She would know that I wouldn't leave anything out," Narcissa told her husband.

Lucius thought about this and then asked, "Would you come with me?" He asked.

"Yes, but I warn you: Don't insult her husband while we are there. It would not do us any good if we were to make Andi angry with us. She is one hell of a lawyer, and you are going to need her to keep you out of Azkaban," Narcissa said, and together they walked to the fireplace to use the Floo Network to visit Andromeda Tonks at her law office.

* * *

Neville stood in the corner of the private room to which the hospital had moved his parents. He was watching as Professor Snape, with guidance from Helga Hufflepuff and Rowena Ravenclaw, mixed together the last ingredients of the potion that should restore his parents' minds.

Once Snape was finished, he stepped back and said, "There, it's done."

The two ghosts looked into the cauldron nodding their heads in approval. "It's perfect. You are indeed a Potions Master," Rowena said.

"Thank you, Lady Ravenclaw. I'm deeply thankful to you for you allowing me access to your private library at Hogwarts. I'm sure I will find many more potions that have long been forgotten," Severus said.

"Salazar's library would have more, but sadly, only someone with his blood in their veins will be able to find it," Rowena said.

"And his last heir is dead," Severus said sadly.

"Oh, his direct heir is long gone but Salazar, like Godric and other males like them, were not known to stay loyal to one lady. I'm sure if someone looked hard enough, he or she would find another descendent to the line of Slytherin," Helga said.

"Well, after what has happened these last few days, I don't think anyone wants to do that," Severus said as he worked and ladled out two goblets of the potion he had just brewed and placed them on the table.

The Longbottoms' healer, who had been standing there watching and listening to the group talk, walked over and took one of the goblets from the tray. "I assume this is one dose?" Healer Green asked Severus.

"Yes, after much discussion with Rowena and Helga here, it was decided that because the Longbottoms were held under the curse for such a long time, it would take an extra large dose to revive them," Severus said.

"Well, if this works, you can pretty much name your price on how much you will charge someone for this new potion of yours," Healer Green said to Severus.

"I won't be charging anyone for any of it," Severus said.

The woman looked at Snape in shock, "And why not?"

Severus Snape raised the sleeve on his left arm, showing the woman the scar that he bore where the Dark Mark had once been, "Because I helped put some of those poor souls in this state. It is my duty to try to restore as many of them as I can."

"Yes, I see," Healer Green, said giving the Potions Master a dirty look. "Well, if Mrs. Longbottom, the elder, has no objections, I think we should get started."

"Please, do," Augusta said, standing next to Neville with her hand on the boy's shoulder.

Moody was standing nearby watching as well. Augusta asked him to be there because Frank and Alice were once part of his team. They were also members of the Order with him. She felt that it would help their recovery if he were there to answer any questions they might have about what's happened while they were insane.

Healer Green handed Frank the goblet and, with a bit of encouragement, she managed to get him to drink the potion. Everyone stood there watching and waiting for the potion to take an effect. The lost and confused look on Frank Longbottom's face slowly vanished. He looked around the room, stopping finally on his mother's face. "Mum, where am I?" he asked.

Augusta Longbottom broke down and started to cry. She draped her arms around her son's shoulders and held him tightly. "You're back, my prayers have been answered," Augusta cried.

Frank was confused but patted his mother's back. "It's okay, Mum. Everyone is okay," Frank calmly said repeatedly.

Healer Green, seeing what the potion had done for Frank, quickly went to Alice's bed and handed the other goblet to the woman. Alice drank the potion as Frank had just moments before. It worked just the same. She looked around and then at her husband. She was confused for moment, and then she locked eyes on Neville. She smiled a bright smile and asked, "Neville?"

"Mum?" Neville said, crying just a bit.

"Yes, baby," Alice said, opening her arms to her son. Neville ran to her and let her embrace him for the first time since he was an infant.

Alice looked up with tears in her eyes at her husband and said, "It's over. It worked."

"Yes, my dear. It worked," Frank, said smiling. He now fully remembered what was going on. He remembered being at home with his wife and son when the Lestranges arrived. He remembered trying to protect them but that it useless. The last memory before things started to fade on him was watching his father's house elf vanish with Neville in his arms.

The little creature had done what he was asked to do; he took Neville to his family's home. Frank had known that the elf could get past any of the spells that the Death Eaters would use, to prevent anyone from entering or exiting the safe house. He also knew that Neville was small enough to go with him. He had ordered the elf, no matter what happened to Alice or himself. Neville had to be saved. That was Frank's only concern at the time.

Frank looked at his former boss and asked, "I assume Voldemort has been defeated?"

"You assume correctly, my boy," Mad-Eye said, walking over and taking a seat in a chair that sat beside Frank's bed. "Let me tell you about this brave son of yours."

Severus Snape backed out of the room at this and walked away. He had a half-smile on his face as he walked. It was over. He was free. He no longer had to be a spy for anyone. He could finally get his life back, and he knew exactly where he was going to start. He was just hoping it wasn't too late.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

Harry, his parents, Petunia and Dudley arrived at the Ministry an hour before the Inquiry that Fudge had called to get to the bottom of the events that had happened at Hogwarts, was due to start. Fawkes was on Harry's shoulder. He tried to leave the bird at home, but for some reason, Fawkes wanted to come. James thought it was a good idea because it was a well-known fact that phoenixes wouldn't be loyal to anyone who was dark. It would be a good way of proving to others that what the Potters were saying was the truth.

As the group exited the fireplaces and walked into the main floor of the Ministry, they found themselves mobbed by members of the press. James walked in front, with Harry and Dudley behind him with their mothers close behind them. James forced his way past the press, only saying 'no comment' to the press' questions.

The group finally made it to the elevators, and as the doors closed, Lily said to her husband, "The inquiry is on Level One in the Wizengamot's chambers."

"I'm surprised Fudge wasn't holding it in the Court rooms on the Tenth Level," James said, as the elevator started to move.

"He was going to, but with the Press from all around the world demanding a chance to be there, and the parents of many Muggleborns wanting to attend, Fudge thought better of it and changed it to the Wizengamot's chambers. It looks better that way," Petunia explained.

Harry was rubbing his finger over the crest that was on the right shoulder of his dress robes, trying not to be nervous.

"Scared?" James asked, his son.

"A bit, why do I have to wear this anyway?" Harry asked, indicating his robes.

"I know you don't like it, but the formal clothes are to help remind people who you are related to and that you do come from a very powerful family," James said.

"What does it matter? I mean, we're telling the truth," Harry said.

"Yes, but in our world, the truth will only get you to a certain point. Power gets you a lot further," James told his son.

"That isn't right," Harry said.

"No, it isn't; but sadly, it is true," Lily said, smoothing down Harry's hair for the tenth time that morning.

The doors opened and the group exited the elevators. Sirius and Remus, who had arrived two hours before just to make sure there weren't any surprises, greeted them. "About time; you said you'd be here before eight o'clock," Sirius snapped.

"Easy, Paddy, we are only a few minutes late," James said, patting his friend on the back.

"Ignore him; he's been like this since Andi contacted him last night, and he won't tell me what it's about," Remus said.

"I told you, it's nothing," Sirius snapped.

"Nothing, then why are you so crabby this morning?" James asked.

"I'm not crabby!" Sirius snapped. The group laughed at that as Sirius said, "Can we just go inside now?"

"Okay, we're going," James said, as they walked towards the doors that lead to the Wizengamot Chambers. He turned to Remus and asked, "Have the Muggleborn children and their parents arrived yet?"

"Yes, the last group arrived just about five minutes ago. The Grangers were chosen as their representatives. They're seated together at the north end of the viewing area of the chambers. The kids are right next to them, and the other parents will be next to them," Remus said.

"What about the press?" Lily asked.

"They only get a small area behind everyone else. Fudge has only allowed the top news organizations access," Sirius explained.

"Good," Lily said, hating the idea of the press being there at all, but there was nothing that she could do about it.

* * *

The group split up after they entered the chambers. Lily and Remus took the boys to their seats before finding places for themselves, as James, Sirius and Petunia went to sit in the area reserved for the Lords.

Harry and Dudley found that most of their friends had already arrived and were greeted by them. "Hi, guys," the boys said, as they sat down beside Neville and in front of Hermione and the others.

"Hi," Hermione said.

"Where's Ron?" Harry asked.

"The Weasley's haven't arrived yet," Neville said.

"I bet they're late," Hermione said.

"Yeah, knowing Ron and his family, they'll be the last to arrive," Harry said as he looked around the chambers to see who had already arrived. "Hermione, what do your parents think of all of this?" Harry asked.

"They aren't happy about any of it. If it weren't for your mother and Aunt Petunia showing up the other day and talking to them, we wouldn't be here. I might not even be allowed to go to another magical school," Hermione said sadly.

"Me either," Colin said sadly.

"I heard Hogwarts might not reopen," Neville said.

"Do you really think that will happen?" Harry asked.

"It might," Susan said. "Aunt Amelia said that it will all depend on what happens here and at the school board meeting that is due to convene right before Christmas."

"I wonder where we'll go if Hogwarts doesn't reopen?" Dudley asked.

"Well, there are several other schools," Hermione said, and she started to list all the other magical schools. "I sort of like Beauxbatons."

"Where is that?" Harry asked.

"It's in France," Susan replied. "I think Aunt Amelia is thinking of sending me to Hera's Academe for Girls, in Greece."

Harry suddenly realized that if Hogwarts didn't reopen. He might loose all his friends because they'd be scattered all over the place. Before Harry could say that, Erin arrived. She sat down next to Susan. The girl's face was flushed, and her eyes were puffy from crying.

"What's wrong?" Susan asked the girl.

"My brother's a git," Erin said.

"Tell us something we don't know?" Dudley said jokingly.

"Draco told father about Dobby. He's been bragging that I'm going to be sent away as soon as things settle down. Mum keeps telling me that it isn't going to happen, but I don't know. Father wasn't happy about me being sorted into Gryffindor. I don't enjoy being home with father all the time, but I would miss Mum. I don't want to leave," Erin cried.

Harry turned, reached over, and started to comfort his friend. "It's okay, Erin. I'm sure your mother didn't lie to you. Besides, you know Draco. He's always bragging about something; and most of the time … he's wrong."

"I hope you're right," Erin said, sniffling.

"Here," Harry said, handing the girl his handkerchief.

"Thanks," Erin said, as she blew her noise and dried her eyes.

"Be careful, Harry, sharing a hanky with someone passes tuff zutts," Luna said in her normal dreamy voice.

Harry and the others looked at her with puzzled looks but didn't comment about it. Luna just sat there reading her book and ignoring the looks she was getting from the people around her.

* * *

Across the way, Lucius Malfoy sat, watching as his daughter talked with the Potter boy. He couldn't help but smile slightly at what he saw. "Maybe a marriage between them wouldn't be too farfetched," Lucius said.

"Between who?" Goyle asked, from his seat behind Lucius.

"Nothing," Lucius said. He turned his attention away from the children and looked around the room. He locked eyes on his wife who was sitting with the other women. She was smiling at him, calm and collected. He wished he was that calm. He knew if things didn't work out, he wouldn't be around to see his daughter get married to anyone. He would be in Azkaban for the rest of his life. He shivered just thinking about it. He really hoped that wasn't going to happen.

Someone else was thinking about putting Lucius in Azkaban, and he would be enjoying it if his cousin Narcissa hadn't reminded him that it was his responsibility, as Lord Black, to defend and stand by other members of the family, no matter what his personal feelings were in the matter.

She had also pointed out that to reinstate Andromeda Tonks into the family along with her daughter, he would need another Black to agree to it, and since Narcissa was the only Black member left able to do so, she would agree to do it only if Sirius would help her husband.

This was why Sirius was in a dark mood this day. He didn't want to help Lucius. He wanted to see Lucius dragged off by Dementors taking him to Azkaban. The only thing that helped Sirius this day was that it might still happen, Lucius still might end up in Azkaban. There was real chance that the Members of the Wizengamot would buy his story … but then again, the snake had gotten off at least once before. He could easily get off again. Sirius would just have to wait and see how things played out.

* * *

Harry had been right, the Weasley family was the last family to arrive for the Inquiry, and everyone was forced to wait as Arthur and the others made their way to the seats.

Finally they were seated and things began.

Fudge stood up, cleared his throat, and said, "As everyone knows, on October 31st, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was held under seize by an unknown person or persons. This Inquiry is to find out who is responsible for that. It is also to get answers to how Lord Potter and his wife, as well as Lord Longbottom and his wife, are now among us once again. So, I think it is best that we begin there." As Fudge said that, all eyes were suddenly on Frank and James.

Harry leaned close to Neville and said, "Why didn't you write us to say your parents were back?"

"I didn't have time. I've been spending all my time catching up with them. Besides, you didn't write and tell me what it's like having **your** parents back," Neville shot back. Harry nodded and smiled then turned his attention back to the proceedings to listen to his father and Mr. Longbottom talk.

James was the one who stood to talk first. He was holding an old piece of parchment in his hand and said, "This prophecy has been handed down for generations within my family. It was foretold by Lady Rowena Ravenclaw at the death of Lord Salazar Slytherin. The Prophecy states that there will be a great battle between the last blood heirs of Hogwarts. If the three together vanquish the fourth, the three will gain their secret heart's desire.

"It was told that she foretold this after he cursed the grounds of Hogwarts. The curse says that until his last heir is vanquished on the grounds of Hogwarts, the school would never be free from heartache and trouble. It would also never be allowed to progress along with the times."

This was only the start of a very long day, full of arguing and nitpicking. Fudge and his followers fought every detail. It took almost all morning before they finally got to where they could question Harry and his friends. Harry was almost asleep when his name was called.

Ron hit him in the back and said, "Mate, you're being called."

"What?" Harry said, waking up to find all eyes on him. Harry noticed a few people smiling at him, but the rest were giving him disapproving looks. Harry took a deep breath and stood. "Yes?" He asked, trying to keep his voice from cracking.

"You were asked, Mr. Potter, to explain how you came to be involved in all of this?" Fudge snapped.

"Sorry," Harry said. He started to explain. He told how he and his friends were warned by Dobby, and then told about the rest of the strange events that followed from that point on.

After Harry was finished talking, Fudge asked, "Do you expect me to believe that some stranger's house elf warned you about all of this?"

"Yes, but it turned out that Dobby isn't some stranger's house elf. He's my house elf. He was stolen by Mr. Malfoy the night my family was attacked, and Mr. Malfoy forced him to bond with him. The reason he warned me is because I'm really his master, not Mr. Malfoy," Harry said.

James and Lily both were smiling at their son; he wasn't backing down from Fudge. It proved that he was a true Potter, even if he still had a lot learn about the Wizarding World, including how to address people.

Fudge started to stammer at this and looked at Lucius. Lucius took a deep breath and said, "The boy is right. I stole the house elf. I found him after participating in the attack on the boy's family. I … and others were ordered to take care of James, while our Lord and Master took care of the child.

"I was also responsible for My Lord being placed in the diary that ended up in the Headmaster's hands. Sadly, it was meant for another, but I discovered later, when I was called to the school to deal with an issue dealing with a professor, that My Lord was indeed possessing the Headmaster. He ordered me to make sure that he stayed there at Hogwarts. I did as ordered, and left the school in the hands of the Dark Lord. "

The room erupted into chaos. It took Fudge a good fifteen minutes to get everyone calmed down. "Are you admitting to being a Death Eater?" Fudge asked Lucius.

"Yes, I am, but I have defenses for all my actions," Lucius said.

"And they are?" Fudge asked.

Andi Tonks stood up then. "I will address this issue," Andi said from the area where the lawyers were seated.

"Go ahead," Fudge, said sitting back in his chair, wondering what he was going to do. Lucius was his biggest supporter. If the man was dark, how would that make him look? He was really hoping that Lucius had a plan to get himself out of this one. If he didn't, they all might go down.

Holding a stack of papers in her hand, Andi walked to the center of the Wizengamot chambers to address the group. She cleared her throat before speaking, "After the attack on Hogwarts, Mr. Malfoy came to my office and confessed his crimes. After doing so, he handed over these papers. On these pages, is research his wife has done on people who are marked with the Dark Mark. I had members from the Department of Mysteries look the papers over; they even examined Mr. Malfoy's Dark Mark.

"They discovered that Mrs. Malfoy's research was correct. She discovered that the mark on her husband's arm consisted of two spells. The first is an old slavery spell that was banned in our world over 150 years ago. The reason for the ban was that not only did it mark a person as a slave, but also the person so marked had his or her free will removed from him or her. The second spell that was found in the Mark was a power-transference spell that would siphon power from the marked 'slave' and transfer it to the 'master'. The Dark Lord was able to pull power from any member he wished, just by tapping his wand on the mark on his own arm and thinking about the person from whom he wanted to take power."

"Are you saying that anyone with the Dark Mark was not responsible for their actions?" Fudge asked.

"Yes," Andi said.

This caused another eruption from the crowed, and this one took longer to quiet down. James leaned in close to Frank as things started to quiet down and said, "I don't like how this is going?"

"I don't either, but I have a feeling there is nothing we can do about it. I talked to the Headmaster before coming here; he asked me to stand up for Severus when his part in the matter came into question. He's a marked Death Eater. If we get him off, we might be forced to get them all off," Frank said.

James glanced over at Albus, who was sitting beside his daughter, watching all of this with a worried expression. James stood up, "I know one member of Voldemort's forces that is marked but still betrayed him. How do you explain that?" James asked Andi.

"Are you talking about Severus Snape?" Andi asked.

"Yes," James said.

"Then I don't think I have to remind you that he owes you a Life Debt, thanks to one of my foolish cousin's pranks," Andi said.

"I object being called your foolish cousin!" Sirius said, standing up suddenly.

The room broke out in laugher as Sirius bowed to the room and then sat down. Andi just stood there shaking her head and then went on, "So, does Severus Snape owe you a Life Debt, or does he not?" Andi asked James.

"Yes, he does," James, said disgusted.

"As everyone knows, a Life Debt is impossible to break, and because of that, Severus Snape was no longer able accept the Dark Lord's mark freely and fully. So, that was why he was able to betray him and turn spy or turn coat, depending on your point of view," Andi said calmly.

The talk about the Death Eater's loyalties took up the rest of the morning. Finally, Madam Bones suggested they break for Lunch, allowing the visitors a break, while the Members of the Wizengamot discussed the matter during this time. The members agreed, and everyone in the visitors' sections filed out of the chambers.

* * *

Everyone was led into the same room where the members of the Wizengamot had held their dinner party after the meeting the night of the Reconstruction. As Andi and her fellow lawyers gathered to talk about how things were going, Mad-Eye Moody walked over and snapped, "What do you think you're doing?"

"Doing?" Andi asked calmly.

"Yes, and don't play dumb with me. You're giving those animals licenses to get out of prison," Moody snapped.

"Mr. Moody," Ares Filch said calmly. He was the brother of Argus Filch, the caretaker of Hogwarts who was killed. He looked a lot like his brother, but he was a few years older, and he's a full wizard. He is also the head of the Law Firm that Andi works for. "I understand your feelings in this matter, but if our research is correct. Those people were sent to prison …"

"Those are not people, they are monsters. I have been there after their attacks. I know what they did to their victims," Moody snapped.

"That proves our point. Why would normal people do such a thing to a fellow human?" another lawyer near Andi said.

"Because they are not human," Moody snapped.

Augusta Longbottom walked over, wrapped her hands around Mad- Eye's arms, and said, "Alastor, you might as well not get into it with them. Lawyers are more concerned with the law then what is right."

Mad-Eye huffed at this but allowed Augusta to guide him away from Andi and the others. She guided the Old Auror over to where Alice stood talking to Lily, Remus, and Molly. They were explaining things to the Grangers.

"So, if the Wizengamot believes this issue about this Dark Mark, then it could lead to other criminals being released from your prison," William Shakespeare Granger said.

"I'm afraid so," Alice said sadly. She didn't think about Bellatrix and the others being released from Azkaban. The thought was just too depressing.

"They wouldn't," Molly said, refusing to believe it.

"They might," Lily said, looking over at Andi Tonks. She liked the woman and knew she stood by her principles. She just couldn't help but wonder what she was thinking as she did this. Lily also wondered what Andi had talked to Sirius about, and if this was why he was in a bad mood this morning.

* * *

While everyone was wondering what could happen with Andi Tonks' bombshell, the Members of the Wizengamot were having quite a fight about it.

"You can't believe this codswallop," James yelled, standing up and pointing a finger at Lucius Malfoy. "That man is nothing but a cold-blooded killer. He stood here and admitted it. He should be locked up in Azkaban along with the rest of those monsters!"

"James," Frank said, reaching up and pulling on James' arm to force him to sit down. "This isn't helping."

"Frank, how can you sit there and stay so calm," James yelled. "They tried to murder you and your family. They would have, if it hadn't been for that spell that your father's house elf cast, sacrificing his life and magic to protect you and your family in the process."

"That's the point, Mr. Potter," Richard Nott said, standing up to address the room. "Rodolphus Lestrange, his brother Rabastan and Rodolphus' wife were found guilty because they used one of the Unforgiveables, driving the Longbottoms into insanity. It is clear to me that didn't happen, so I suggest that the Lestranges should be set free as well."

This caused an uproar in the room that lasted for a long time, but Fudge finally gained control of the room. "Lords and Ladies, we are getting off the subject. I suggest we table this discussion until after we clear up the other matters at hand. Then we shall deal with this issue," Fudge suggested.

"What about Lucius Malfoy? Are you going to allow him to roam free until then?" James snapped.

Fudge stammered a bit at this, but Sirius came to his rescue. "The House of Black guarantees Lord Malfoy's appearance at any meeting or hearing dealing with this issue," Sirius said, his eyes hard as stone and his face set in determination.

James looked at Sirius as if he had lost his mind as Fudge said, "You realize what that means, Mr. Black."

"Assure you I do," Sirius said.

"Well, then," Fudge said looking at Lucius. "Do you accept Lord Black's offer?"

"Yes," Lucius said calmly. He hated it, but he knew he had no choice. It was either accept Sirius' help, or his so-called friends help; and if he had their help, Lucius knew he wouldn't be alive long if, and when, they found out he was without magic.

"Well, then, until this matter is solved all of Mr. Malfoy's assets are to be frozen, that includes his seats in the Wizengamot. He will also be turned over to the protection of the House of Black. If he doesn't appear when summoned, Malfoy's estate will be forfeit, and the House of Black will be fined," Fudge said slamming the gavel down on the table in front him. "We will break for an hour before continuing."

Everyone started to rise, talking among themselves about what had happened, as James made his way to where Sirius was standing talking to Madam Bones about something. "Sirius, have you lost your mind?" James demanded.

Sirius ignored his friend for a moment, choosing, instead to finish what he was talking about. "Yes, Madam Bones, Mr. Malfoy will be staying at the Black family home under house arrest. If you like, I will allow you, and a select few people of your choosing, access to the house. You can check on him now and then until this matter is resolved," Sirius said.

"Thank you, Mr. Black. I will get with you to set things up after the meeting today," Madam Bones said, turning and leaving Sirius alone with James.

"Well?" James asked, as Sirius turned to face him finally.

"Not here," Sirius said, starting to walk away.

"Why not?" James growled.

"Because I don't want everyone to know my business. Now, if you don't like it, that's your problem; but if you want to know why I did what I did, you have to wait until later tonight," Sirius said, then he walked away to inform Lucius about what he had just talked about with Madam Bones. Sirius knew James was angry about this and he understood why. The trouble was, he had no choice. It was his duty as Lord Black to stand up for his family. It wasn't his fault that he had a family full of Death Eaters, was it?

* * *

The Inquiry resumed after lunch, and Albus was asked to talk about his possession. Albus stood up with his black hand resting on a cane. He looked older than he ever had before; reminding everyone that he was nearly 150-years-of- age. "Minister, I have sat here listening to everyone point fingers at each other, blaming others for their actions. That will not happen with me.

"I was responsible for allowing Tom to have access to my mind. I knew the diary was dangerous, but I was foolhardy enough to believe that I would be able to face anything Tom had in store for me. You see, I felt that I was infallible and that I never made mistakes. It took watching Tom run Hogwarts to see just how wrong I was. I made more mistakes than anyone here.

"I helped create Voldemort. I wrote off a boy because he showed signs of being dark. I should have befriended him. I knew Tom was responsible for setting the basilisk free all those years ago, and my inaction caused a poor child to be killed. I allowed another to take the blame. I said it was for the greater good that I did nothing to change the outcome. I might have given the boy a home at Hogwarts, at least during the school year, but that does not make up for my wrong doings."

"So, it turned out well, or that was how I saw things. I even knew, as Tom grew in power, that something had changed in him. I should have confronted him then, but I was too comfortable allowing others to do my dirty work. I was even going to allow a young boy to sacrifice himself for the greater good, all because I had heard a prophecy being spoken about him by a woman who was known to get things wrong. So, if you want to point a finger at someone who was at fault about all of this, point it at me, for it was I who was responsible."

Albus sat down as the room erupted once again, but this time it was his followers that were upset about the way things looked. In the end, the only thing anyone could agree on was who the main person responsible was, and that was Voldemort.

Fudge even proclaimed it, and that was end of matters. They, of course, still had to deal with the mess that Lucius had created by confessing, but that would come later.

As for Albus, he stepped down from everything and even turned over his seats on the Wizengamot to his son-in-law to control. When the press asked him, as he left, what he was going to do now, he answered, "Be a father, grandfather and great-grandfather. I might even learn how to be a better friend to the people for whom I've come to care."

* * *

Later that evening, Sirius arrived at Rosewood Hall after getting Lucius and his family settled in at Black House. His mood had darkened because of dealing with all of Lucius' demands, and it didn't help that he knew James would jump down his throat the moment he arrived.

Sirius was right. James did jump down his throat just as he stepped out of the fireplace. "Alright, Sirius Black, what in the world were you thinking, doing that for Malfoy?" James demanded.

Sirius sighed as he walked to the bar, poured himself a large glass of firewhisky, and downed it. He then turned to James and the others in the room and said, "First off, I had no choice but to help Lucius. His wife is a Black, and it is my duty as Lord Black to defend the guy, even if I don't like him."

Lily reached out, grabbed her husband's hand, and pulled him back onto the couch with her and said, "James, Sirius is right. It is his duty."

James just snorted at this.

"Prongs, come on," Sirius pleaded. "I didn't have a choice. I didn't want to do this for the snake, but I have to."

"You could have warned us," James said.

"You're right; I could have, and I'm sorry that I didn't. I wasn't happy about any of this, myself. It was the reason I was in a crappy mood this morning," Sirius said.

"What about your cousin Bellatrix? Do you have to do the same thing for her?" Alice asked.

Sirius looked at Frank and Alice with a long face and said, "If she requests it, yes; it doesn't help what happened today that we agreed that all the blame for what happened at Hogwarts fell squarely on Voldemort's shoulders."

"Why? I thought that was what we wanted? Professor Dumbledore gets to retire in peace and isn't accused of any crime, and Severus' spy-status is accepted," Lily said, confused.

"That's the point," Sirius said, as he sat down in one of the chairs next to Remus.

"Damn," James muttered.

Petunia sighed and said, "I don't approve of your language, but I agree that it doesn't look good. It seems that since we got what we want, the other side is going to use it to get what they want, too."

Frank nodded solemnly and said, "You're right. They are going to worm their way out of the trouble they caused."

It was then that Alice noticed the smile on Sirius Black's face. "What are you smiling about?" she demanded, thinking his smile was inappropriate, due to matters at hand.

"Oh, I found out something today that made all of this worth it," Sirius said grinning.

"And that is?" Remus asked.

"Do you know what spell or version of the spell Lucius used to bind Voldemort's soul to the diary?" Sirius asked.

"Bind?" James asked a bit confused.

Sirius nodded, his smile growing, and then one-by-one everyone figured it out. Frank finally said it, "He has no magical powers."

"Nope, not a one," Sirius said, starting to laugh. He laughed so hard at this that he fell out of the chair and rolled on the floor. James and the others were soon laughing with him; it was funny to know that the pure blood snob, Lucius Malfoy, would be no better than a squib for the next ten year.

_Author's note: Um, to clear things up, the Voldemort inside the diary was the adult version not the boy. How he stayed alive after he attacked Harry and what Slytherin did will be explained later in the story. The one thing Professor Dumbledore is going to look into is the answers to these questions. So, if you are wondering how he lived, you'll find out later. _

_Marti_


	16. Chapter 16

_Hi, _

_Sorry this took so long to post. I haven't been feeling well this week. I just started to get better. I do hope this chapter is worth the wait... _

_Marti_

**Chapter 16**

Lucius Malfoy sat at the table at the Black House with a scowl on his face. "Doesn't that house elf clean?" he demanded of his wife.

"I talked to Sirius about Kreacher, and he said that if I wanted the worthless beast, I could have him," Narcissa said as she looked around the kitchen in dread.

"I don't want him. If I was Black, I would give him clothes and be done with him," Lucius said.

At that, the pair heard the screaming coming from the hall as Draco and his sister walked into the room. "Did you have to wake her," Narcissa complained as she rushed to cover her aunt's painting.

"Sorry," Erin said, even though it was her brother's fault.

"You should be," Draco snapped at his sister. "Father, do we have to stay here?"

"Yes, and stop bickering with your sister. I'm not in the mood to deal with either of you this morning," Lucius said.

At that moment, Sirius walked into the dining room from the main hall with Narcissa at his side. "Narcissa, if I had a way of getting that woman off the wall, I would; but I don't." Sirius said as he sat down at the table.

"Why is your mother's painting like that?" Erin asked.

"Because she was a cold-hearted witch who loved to make my life a living hell and decided to make sure to keep on doing so after she was gone," Sirius said.

"Have you claimed the House of Black?" Narcissa asked him as she sat back down at the dining room table.

"No, and I won't claim it. I hate this place," Sirius said.

"Sirius, that is why this place is falling apart, you refuse to claim it. You might even be able to get rid of your mother's painting," Narcissa said.

Sirius raised an eyebrow at this. "You think?" he asked.

"It would be your house, Black. If you don't want her painting up, then it would have no choice but to remove itself from the wall," Lucius said, snobbishly.

Sirius thought on this for a moment. _'Could it be that easy to get rid of her?' _Sirius thought to himself.Sirius sighed deeply then stood up and said, "I'm Lord Sirius Black, and this is my home. I claim all that is in it."

There was a loud pop, and the darkness around the house faded. Kreacher walked into the room still muttering, but the moment he looked at Sirius he stopped. "You want … something of me, Master," Kreacher said, not wanting to do as Sirius ordered but was forced to do it. He was bound to serve the master of the House of Black.

"First, remove my mother's painting from the wall and …" Sirius started to order then stopped. He wanted throw it in the fire then go in after it but he didn't. Sirius finally decided another course of action. "And put it in your cupboard, if I ever hear from it again. I will order it destroyed," Sirius said.

"Yes, Master," Kreacher, said bowing at Sirius.

"And Kreacher, after you are done with that, clean this house up," Sirius ordered.

"Yes, Master," Kreacher, said, before he turned and left the room.

"Why did you give that elf the painting?" Draco asked.

"Because maybe he will be willing to work for me, if he realizes one slip up, and I would take her away from him. Kreacher was always a bit possessive of mother," Sirius said as he reached over and grabbed the teapot from the table. "Now, on to living arrangements, I have set up an allowance for house and personal use. I'm sure it is enough but if it isn't. Tough! It's all you get."

As Sirius handed Narcissa the key, she said, "Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet; I'm not done," Sirius said looking at Lucius. "A team of Aurors are stationed outside this house; they have orders to keep you from leaving. You are also not allowed visitors; only people with Black blood are allowed in or out."

"I assumed as much," Lucius said.

"The floo network is cut off, and owls will be monitored. I would limit my use of them for a while, if I were you," Sirius said.

"You act as if father is a criminal or something," Draco said.

Sirius looked at the boy as if he had suddenly grown another head. "Sirius, Lucius and I haven't told the children much about what's going on."

"Oh," Sirius said deciding to ignore Draco's comment for the time being, and went on to explain things to Lucius. "Four days from now, the Wizengamot will be getting together to discuss things. Everyone is going to be asked to prove their loyalty. How I do not know? I just know that that's what's going to happen," Sirius said.

"And this was approved by everyone?" Lucius asked.

"Yes, it was the only way to get James and the others to agree to hear any of this out," Sirius said.

"What was your vote?" Lucius asked.

Sirius laughed and asked, "Do you really have to ask?"

"No," Lucius said calmly.

"Well, I have things to do. If you need anything, don't contact me, contact Andi. She's the reason you're here," Sirius said and he stood up and left.

The moment he was gone, Draco looked at his father and asked, "Father, what's going on?"

"You are, Dummy," Erin snapped. "Father's in trouble with the Wizengamot. He confessed to being a follower of … Voldemort."

"Erin, please do not use that name," Narcissa told her daughter.

"Why not? Harry does; and besides, he's gone. Harry and the others defeated him," Erin said.

"I bet you like Potter. I bet you helped him defeat the Dark Lord," Draco said suddenly, starting to hit his sister.

Lucius jumped to his feet and pulled Draco and Erin apart, his eyes blazing. "That is enough," Lucius said pushing both kids back into their seats. "And you," Lucius said pointing a finger at his son. The smile on Draco's face suddenly vanished, "I don't want you to **ever** lay a finger on your sister again. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Sir," Draco said stunned.

Narcissa was stunned as well. She was also wondering why her husband was suddenly behaving like their daughter was his favorite child. "Children, I think it's time you go up and get ready to go out. We need to go shopping for a few things."

"Yes, Mother," Erin said, looking at her father in confusion as well, but she was smart enough to know not to push her luck with him.

The kids rushed out of the room, leaving Narcissa and Lucius alone. The moment they were alone, Narcissa turned to her husband and asked, "What are you up to?"

"I'm not up to anything. I just didn't approve of what Draco was doing," Lucius said sitting back down.

"Lucius!" Narcissa said in a warning voice.

Lucius Malfoy didn't answer. He just sat there sipping his tea and smiling. This alone told Narcissa that he was up to no good, but she didn't have time to deal with him now. She had shopping to do and a house to get in order. She went to make a list of what was needed and then gathered the children, leaving Lucius alone with his thoughts.

* * *

Remus woke up early that morning, in a very bad mood. It wasn't Death Eaters being freed that was his problem this morning, but the Ministry's laws about Werewolves. Delores Umbridge, Remus assumed, was the one who had come up with the idea that Werewolves had to be examined by a Healer once a year. She, of course, never explained just how the werewolves were going to pay for it. Delores laws that prevented werewolves from getting jobs, it was hard for them to pay for the check-up. It was why James forced St. Mungo's into setting up a free clinic. He set up funding to keep the clinic going for as long as needed. Remus found out after being names caretaker of the Potter Estate that not even Harry could cut the funding. It would last as long as Potter Estate could afford to pay for it. Remus laughed when he found this out for James had tried to give him money years ago to take care of him. Remus had turned him down but in death (or whatever state he was in) James had made sure that Remus was looked after. Remus was thankful that James had done all of this for him. It was why; he made sure that James' Family Estate was going to be there for his son take over. It was the least he could do after everything James had done for him.

Remus decided to get it done and over with. He quickly dressed and made his way to St. Mungo's Hospital. The area where he had to go was the older part of the hospital; it was the part where people who needed care and couldn't afford it went. This is where the examinations for werewolves were held. Remus found the area, signed in, and then found a seat in a rickety old chair and started to read the magazine he had brought.

Remus had only been there half an hour when Sirius wandered in. "Man, this place is hard to find," Sirius said as he sat down in the chair next to Remus.

"What are you doing here?" Remus asked.

"Oh, killing time before the Wizengamot meeting; besides, it beats spending it with my cousin's _loving_ family," Sirius said.

Remus nodded at this and said, "How's it going with them?"

"It's going. Cissy talked me into claiming the Black House," Sirius said.

"What? Did she use an unforgivable on you?" Remus joked.

"Nope, just pointed out that I could get rid of my mother's painting that way," Sirius said laughing.

"That would do it," Remus said putting his magazine down on the table.

An old man in worse clothes then Remus looked at the magazine and then at Remus. Remus nodded his head, and the man took the magazine, smiling as he started to read it. Sirius started to look around the room and noticed how rundown the place was.

"Moony, why is this place such a dump?" Sirius asked.

"This is where people go who can't afford medical care, there's hardly enough money to keep it running. The Hospital can't waste galleons on how the place looks," Remus said.

"Oh," Sirius said, noticing a little girl with holes in both her shoes watching him. "I'll be back," Sirius said suddenly, and he got up to leave.

Remus didn't think much of it until Sirius came back. Sirius walked in with an arm full of stuff and dropped it in the chair beside Remus. He then started to pull out papers, magazines and other items to fill the room. He handed the little girl a coloring book and crayons. The coloring book had dragons on the front that roared every now and then.

"What are you doing?" Remus asked.

"Fixing the place up," Sirius said, handing out the newspapers. "From here on out, the Hospital is going to put newspapers and other magazines in here daily. They are going to keep an ever-full magical teapot and sandwich tray here that will always be supplied of food."

"And how are they going to pay for it?" Remus asked.

"They aren't, I am," Sirius said taking a seat next to his friend again. "I'm also going to go through several of the Black Houses and see if I can replace some of this stuff," Sirius said noticing that the chair he was sitting in leaned a bit to the right.

"Sirius, you don't have to do this," Remus said.

"No, but I want to. Look, it's either this, or I'll spend my money on something else. Besides, it's a good tax write-off," Sirius said, pulling his wand to fix his chair.

"Okay, but don't overdo it. These are simple people with simple tastes," Remus said.

"Me over do it? Remus, since when do I over do anything?" Sirius asked.

"Do you really want me to answer that?" Remus asked.

Before Sirius had a chance to reply, a nurse walked into the room and called, "Remus Lupin?" Remus stood up and leaving a sulking Sirius behind, he following the nurse from the room. "Follow me," the nurse said. Remus followed the woman into a small examining room. The nurse pointed to the table and said, "Take a seat and the Healer will be with you in a moment."

"Thank you," Remus said and he sat down on the table. He was soon nervously tapping his foot against the leg of the table.

Remus didn't have to wait long before the Healer walked in. Remus knew the man. He had gone to school with him. He was Professor McGonagall's nephew. "Hi, Remus," Douglas McGonagall said smiling warmly.

"Hi, Doug," Remus said.

"I heard from my Aunt Minnie about what happened at Hogwarts. She told me the part you played in it. Thank you for going in there and helping her get the others out. She's the last of my family now that mother has passed on," Doug said.

"You're welcome, Doug," Remus said, starting to relax.

"I heard you were bit by that Basilisk. Have you had any trouble from that?" Doug asked, casting a few medical spells that checked Remus heart rate and pulse.

"No, but it did burn after Fawkes healed me," Remus said.

"Burned?" Doug said puzzled.

"Yes, it felt like fire was going through my veins," Remus replied.

"That **is** interesting," Doug said, running a few more tests. "Your pulse is good. Your blood pressure is fine. You're a bit on the thin side, but that's normal for someone with your condition."

"Yes, that's normal," Remus, said.

"Still eating chocolate like it's going out of style?" Doug asked Remus.

"Yes," Remus admitted with a chuckle.

"Man, I wish I could to that," Doug said, patting his middle. He then pulled his wand and said, "One more scan and then we'll be done."

"Oh, yes the test that proves I'm a werewolf. Why do they make you run that test? It isn't going to change," Remus snapped.

"I know; but it's the law," Doug said, and he did the scan. In fact, he did it five more times before looking at Remus in shock. "Um, Remus, we have a problem."

"What?" Remus asked, wondering what could be wrong with him now.

"I did the scan; it shows that you are negative. There is no sign that you are a werewolf," Doug said.

Remus looked at the Healer and demanded, "Okay, how much did Sirius pay you to say that?"

"Nothing, Remus, I'm not joking. The spell says that you are normal," Doug said.

Remus sat there for a long time taking this all in. "I have been taking a new potion. Severus Snape brewed it for me. It was created by Slytherin and Ravenclaw, but everything that I've read on it says that they weren't even near being close to finding the cure," Remus said.

"Okay, let me contact my supervisor about this then we can talk," Doug said, popping his head out of the door and talking to the nurse for a moment before coming back in. He pulled up a stool and sat down. "You said it felt as if your blood burned after you were healed by Fawkes. Do you think that had anything to do with it?"

"How could it? I mean, wouldn't someone have already thought about using phoenix tears to heal a werewolf before this?" Remus asked.

"No, they haven't. Fawkes is a very rare bird. I think there are only ten known phoenixes on record right now," Doug said.

"But there has to be more than just his tears that cured it," Remus said.

"Yes, you're right, and we're going to find out, if you're willing to allow us to figure this out," Doug said to Remus.

"Yes, only if you agree to do one thing for me," Remus said.

"And that is?" Doug asked.

"Allow Sirius to come in here; I think I need someone on my side during this," Remus said smiling sheepishly. He hated to admit it, but he was scared. Here he was faced with the prospect of being cured for the first time since he was a boy, and he was scared. It was ironic Remus knew, but that is how he felt.

"Sure," Doug said and he went to get Sirius.


	17. Chapter 17

_Dear readers: _

_Sorry, I was going to post this sooner but it didn't work out that way. My husband and I have a new kitten and let me just say computers and kittens don't mix. I do hope this was worth the wait. And if anyone wants to know, there are just two more chapters left before I start the next part of the story. It will be called 'A New Hogwarts!" And this one is going to last a longer than the other two I promise. _

**Chapter 17**

Lily, Alice, Petunia and Molly got together one evening after the meeting of the Wizengamot and talked about the trouble the press was causing. The kids were kept inside or close to their homes because of the trouble, so it was decided that they needed to find a place where the kids could be kids.

Frank found the perfect solution. The Longbottom family had a cabin up on Witch Mountain near a local wizarding ski resort. It was big enough to house everyone, and the locals had laws that prevented the press camping outside private homes. It was a perfect solution.

The moment the kids found out about the trip, they were exited. The only trouble they had about it was who could come. They kids wanted to invite their other friends such as Susan, Luna, Erin, Hermione, and Colin. It wasn't a problem for Susan, Erin and Luna to come along; the problem was getting Hermione's and Colin's parents to agree to it. They were still a bit unsure about allowing their children any contact with the Wizarding World. After hearing that, it was decided that not only were the kids invited, but their families were as well.

Since there were so many people going to Witch Mountain, the group would be going by train. They would leave Platform 9¾ and go to Sleepy Valley, which was close to where the Longbottom's cabin was located. This was where the Potters and Evan's family were at this very moment waiting for everyone else to arrive.

Harry was sitting on his trunk, with Fawkes on his shoulder, watching as wizards and witches walked by. Some stared at him, some pointed at him, and a very few brave ones tried to walk up and talk to him or pet Fawkes. The phoenix was not happy about this, and every time someone tried to pet him, he would flap his wings and snap at them.

"Harry, I think it might be better if you send Fawkes on," James said after awhile.

"I tried, but he won't leave me," Harry said.

"Well, then get into the car and wait for us," James suggested.

"Okay," Harry said standing up and starting for the train.

Harry was just about to step onto the train when a woman wearing cats' eye eyeglasses with diamond chips on the sides walked up to him and said, "Harry Potter, I'm Rita Skeeter from the Prophet. I was wondering if I could have a moment of your time."

"Mr. Potter has nothing to say to you Ms. Skeeter," Mad-Eye said appearing in the doorway of the train. Mad-Eye moved aside and motioned for Harry to go on, as he climbed down to face Rita.

"I was just going to ask the boy a few questions," Rita said.

"Yes, but you were told that the Potters had nothing to say to you," Mad-Eye said reaching out taking the quill from Rita's hand. "If my memory is correct, reporters for the Daily Prophet are not allowed to use Quick Quote Quills when writing their articles or interviewing people. The owners of the paper even pride themselves in saying all their stories are written without the use of them."

"I wasn't using it. I found it," Rita said putting the quill back into her purse.

"Yes, I'm sure you were," Mad-Eye said.

Rita looked into the car at Harry standing there watching them. She then turned and walked away leaving the family alone. "Thanks, Moody," James said walking up to join his old boss.

"No, problem, my boy, I don't mind dealing with little bugs like Ms. Skeeter," Mad-Eye said smiling a sly smile before starting to walk around looking for other members of the press who might have found out about this little holiday.

James just shook his head at Mad-Eye's comment and turned to Harry. "Come on; let's go get you settled in the compartment. Dudley, you might as well come as well," James said.

"Yes, Sir," Dudley said, as he board the train behind his uncle.

James had gotten two large private compartments one for the adults and the other for the kids. The boys took the one that faced the platform, so they could sit and look out keeping an eye for their friends. Harry had just found a nice comfortable spot for Fawkes when he spotted Hermione and her family coming through the barrier.

"Hermione's here," Harry said.

James looked out the window and smiled, "As is Colin's family, good, now we just have to wait for the others."

"When's the train due to leave the station?" Harry asked.

"In an half an hour, this train only makes this trip once a week, and it is the only stop on the way," James said.

Harry nodded and finished getting his things settled in the compartment just as Hermione and Colin walked in. They were followed by a boy and a girl who were a year younger than Colin. Harry knew right away that the girl was a relation of Hermione's and the boy was Colin's brother about whom he always talked.

"Hi, guys," Harry, said greeting his friends.

"Hey," Dudley said from his position sitting by the window while digging through a box he had on his lap. He was looking for his Exploding Snap cards.

"Oh, Harry, I'm so thankful that Mum and Dad agreed to let me come. They're still thinking of sending me to the girl's school that Mum went to when she was my age," Hermione said.

"Drop the drama, Hermione," the girl beside her snapped. "It wasn't **that** bad."

Harry hid his smile as he looked at the girl. She looked a lot like Hermione but with a few differences. The girl's hair was blond, and her curls were thick and wavy. They didn't frizz like Hermione's did, either.

"Who's your friend?" Harry asked Hermione, indicating the girl.

"I figured she didn't talk about me. Hermione only talks about her books and you, of course," the girl said, pushing past Hermione to find a seat near Harry. "I'm Missy, Hermione's sister. I tried out Hermione's wand this week, and guess what … it worked for me, or almost did. So, if Mum and Dad allow her to go back to Hogwarts, I might get to go too."

Hermione's face was a bit tight as her sister talked, and Harry couldn't help but wonder what type of relationship the two had. "Well, I might not get to go, and if that's so, that means you won't be going, either" Hermione said.

"That's what this trip is about, right? Get Mum and Dad to accept wizards and the Wizarding World again," Missy said.

"Yes, but …" Hermione said a bit flustered.

Harry had spent enough time with Ron and his family to see a fight coming on and decided to stop it before it got started. He pulled out a book from the bag at his feet and handed it to Hermione. "You remember this?" Harry asked.

"Oh, the potion that shows you your talents," Hermione said, taking the book and sitting on the bench next to Harry to read it.

Missy just shook her head at this and turned her attention to Dudley and Colin. While Harry was talking to Hermione and Missy, the boys were teaching Dennis, Colin's younger brother, how to play Exploding Snap. "What are you playing?" the girl asked.

"Exploding Snap, you want to play?" Dudley asked.

"Sure," Missy said, and she joined the boys' game.

Slowly, the compartment started to fill up. Susan and Luna were next. Luna sat by herself, as usual, reading her father's paper upside down. Susan sat beside Hermione, checking out the potion that the kids had wanted to brew at school but never got to because of Voldemort.

"To bad, we can't brew this," Hermione said.

"Why not?" Susan asked.

"We can't do magic outside of school," Hermione said.

"Hermione, brewing a potion is not the same as doing magic. Besides, who is going to notice if we do magic anyways. We are going to a magical home. I do it all the time at my Aunt's house. She gets upset when she catches me, but I never get an owl from the Ministry for it," Susan said.

"Why did I get one then?" Hermione asked, giving her sister a dirty look. When Missy had taken Hermione's wand and tried a spell from Hermione's books, Hermione got an owl from the Ministry giving her a warning about doing magic outside of school.

"Because you live in a Muggle home and there are no other wizards around. The ministry picks up magic in areas like that better than they would in homes like mine or Luna's," Susan said.

After a second, Susan continued, "and the reason **you** received the warning instead of your sister, is that she used **your** wand, and it's your wand that's registered. If your sister had had her own wand and done a spell, she'd have received the warning instead of you.

"That isn't right, if you can do magic, why can't I?" Hermione said.

"Technically, I can't; it's up to my Aunt to punish me, not the Ministry," Susan said.

"It still isn't fair," Harry said.

"No, but that is how the law is written," Susan said.

"Maybe we can talk to Dad about getting the law changed," Harry said.

"Well, if he can do it, He's better than most because I know many people have tried to get that law changed over the years. Then again, who knows where the Power structure is going to be after the mess with the Death Eaters is cleared up," Susan said.

"Is it really going to be that bad?" Hermione asked.

"It might be. I overheard Aunt Amelia talking to Neville's Grandmother yesterday, and what they were talking about didn't make things sound good. It seems Mr. Malfoy is not the only marked Death Eater in the Wizengamot. There are others, and most of them are like him: Money Lords," Susan said.

"What does that mean?" Missy asked, looking up from her game.

"Money Lords are Lords because they bought their seats in the Wizengamot. They can only keep them if they show they have a certain amount of cash in their vaults. The talk is that the only way the Marked Death Eaters will stay out of prison is by paying huge fines. It might wipe out a lot of the Money Lords," Susan said.

"And if that happens?" Harry asked.

"Their seats will be put up for sale, and new Lords can take their places. It will change the structure of the Wizengamot. There is already talk about putting Slytherin's seats up for sale right now. Tom Riddle was his only direct heir, and now that he's dead, the Slytherin seats could be sold if another heir isn't found," Susan said.

"Anyone can buy them?" Hermione asked.

"If you have the money," Susan said.

"That isn't right; why don't they elect someone to take those seats?" Hermione said.

"That isn't how it is done here. The only elected positions are the Minister and some seat members. The Wizengomat rule our world. It's how it's always been," Susan said.

"It doesn't seem right," Hermione said.

"It isn't; but that is how things are, and there is no way it's going to change. Money has always ruled out world and always will," Susan said.

"Is your Aunt a Money Lord?" Harry asked.

"No, my family has been a member of the Wizengamot from the very beginning. I think there are seven original families left and you are connected to four of them," Susan said to Harry with a smile on her face.

"Great," Harry muttered with a sour look on his face.

The train whistle started to blow, letting everyone outside know that they were going to be moving soon. It was right then that Ron and his siblings appeared with Molly behind them. "Percy, I want to thank you and Penelope for sitting with the children to make sure they say out of trouble," Molly said to her middle son as they walked into the room.

Harry and Dudley turned to each other and mouthed, "Children?"

"You're welcome, Mother," Percy said with a smug voice.

The twins were behind Percy making faces at him. Harry and his friends started to giggle, causing Molly to turn around to see the twins standing there smiling innocently. Molly gave them a dirty look and said, "You two behave."

"Yes, Mum," Fred and George said in unison.

Molly gave them a look that said she didn't believe them but decided to drop it. The train started to move right then. "Alright, get a seat and stay here. I don't want you running up and down the hall, causing trouble for the other passengers." Molly said, guiding her children into the compartment.

It was after Molly was gone that the kids started to talk about the upcoming trip. Ron had talked Dudley in to playing a game of chess, and Harry took Dudley's spot in the Exploding Snap game. They were just getting settled when Draco and Erin appeared in the door.

"What are **you** doing here?" Ron asked Draco.

"It is not **my** idea," Draco said, taking a seat near the door beside Missy.

Erin sat beside Luna and sighed, "Sorry, we're late, but it took us a bit to get past the press," Erin said.

"How bad were they?" Neville asked the girl.

"Bad; the moment we stepped through the floo with Sirius, they were on us. I'm glad that Father couldn't come, or it would have been worse," Erin said.

Draco sat in his seat, his mouth closed tight and a sour look on his face. Missy noticed it and asked, "What's wrong with you; did you eat a lemon?"

Ron laughed at this and smiled at Missy, "That's Draco's normal look," Ron said.

"Okay, guys that's enough. You should leave Draco alone," Harry said.

"Harry, he would be picking on you if it was the other way around," Ron said.

"I know; but that doesn't mean we have to stoop to his level. So, leave him be," Harry said.

"I don't need your help, Potter," Draco snapped.

"No, you don't; but I won't be like you and kick you when you are down," Harry said calmly.

"You think you're better than me?" Draco asked.

"On how I treat people, yes," Harry said calmly. "I treat people like I want to be treated. They don't have to do it. I realize that, but I won't change how I act just because someone wants to make me feel bad just because they feel bad."

Harry turned away from Draco then and went back to his card game, ignoring the glares he was getting from Draco, and the stunned looks he was getting from Ron and some of the others.

Percy was the only one who said anything, "That's very mature of you to say what you did," Percy said.

"Thanks," Harry said smiling a bit. "You want to join us?"

Percy thought about it for moment then nodded, and soon Percy and the twins had joined the game. Penny noticed what Hermione and Susan were doing, and she spent time talking to the girls about brewing the potion. Erin, Ginny, Missy and Luna all sat together talking about Ginny's new "Teen Witch" magazine and the articles that were in it.

* * *

In the compartment with the adults, The Granger and Creevey families sat watching the train move through the countryside at lightning speed. "Are you sure this is safe?" William Granger asked.

"Oh, yes," Lily said. "Magical trains have all kinds of protection spells on them to prevent them from crashing."

"What about the cows? I heard cows have caused a lot of train crashes lately," Daniel Creevey asked.

"Muggle trains yes, but not this one. The cowcatcher in front of this train does just that. It magically picks up the cows that are on the track and moves them to the side," Sirius said.

"Very interesting; I wish there were a way of doing that with our trains," Miranda Granger said.

"Yes, it would stop a lot of accidents," Colleen Creevey said. "I heard on the news, just yesterday, about a train wreck just south of here. They were lucky that no one was hurt, but it's going to take days to clean things up."

"That's another nice thing about being a wizard," James said. "Cleaning up messes only take us moments, or hours depending on the situation."

"Hermione told us about some of the spells that she has been learning and their uses. It does make me wonder though; why does your world stay in hiding from everyone? I mean, why don't you live out in the open?"

"Trying to 'burn us at the stake' had a lot to do with it," Sirius said.

"Now, Sirius, you know there is more to it than that. Besides, there were a few witches and wizards in history that enjoyed being burnt," Alice said.

"Enjoyed it?" Colleen said shocked.

"Yes, a true witch won't let you burn her. Besides, if you asked, she would be glad to light the fire for you," James said jokingly.

"Oh James, that's a bad joke," Frank said.

"I'll do better next time," James promised.

"Ignore him; he's always like that," Lily said, giving her husband a dirty look.

The woman laughed at this, and soon the men and women split up, each group talking about the other or talking about the differences between the Muggle and Wizarding World. Arthur found the Muggle world very interesting and asked many questions about plugs and switches, and their uses.

The only one who wasn't enjoying herself on this the trip was Narcissa, but she was at least trying. She knew if she didn't Sirius could, and would, pull his support for Lucius away, and then they would be in trouble. So, she had to deal with the Muggles and their Muggle-loving friends … at least for now.


	18. Chapter 18

_Hi, _

_Thanks for the great replies and sorry it took a while to post. I have a new family member. It is small black and white with four paws and mews... We names her Sox but we call her munchkin and it is almost impossble to type with her around. She loves my key board for some strange reason. So, until the kitten grows up a bit. My writting my slow down just a bit. Sorry! I will try though. _

_Marti_

**Chapter 18**

After unpacking their things, the kids went exploring the area around them. Percy and Penny went along just to make sure the press stayed away. At first, Percy was put out about "baby sitting his siblings" as he put it that morning, but Harry and the others made him feel welcome and it helped ease the tension. The only ones that weren't happy about Percy being there were the twins and Ron. They saw him as a spy for their mother, but so far they kept their opinion to themselves.

The kids wandered the streets of Sleepy Valley,checking out the shops and other stores that catered to tourists. They were near the ski area when Harry and the other boys spotted a banner that read: **Free Magical Boo Board Lessons **

"What's a Boo Board?" Dudley asked Harry.

"I don't know; let's check it out," Harry said, and the group made their way to the stand where other kids their age were hanging out.

As they neared, they saw two boys, both with bleached blond hair. As they got closer, they could hear that the blond boys had American accents and were giving lessons to a group of kids who were standing on things that looked a lot like Muggle skateboards, minus the wheels, and they were floating a few inches off the ground. It only took a slight push with a foot to get it to move. The kids got in line and one- by-one each one tried a board.

Josh and Mitch were the boys in charge. They were seventeen-year-old Muggleborn brothers from California. The boards could be used with or without snow, on land or on water. The brothers had invented the Boo Board. It was hot in places like America, Canada and Australia. The boys were trying to get the European Wizards to accept them now.

"Okay, kid you ready?" Josh asked Harry when it was his turn.

"Sure," Harry said, walking up to a board that was hovering just above the ground in front of Josh.

"It's easy; just stand on it and give it a slight push with your foot, and you're off," Josh said to Harry.

Harry nodded at this. He had been watching and knew it took more than that to control the board. It took a lot of balance. Harry climbed on and did what Josh told him to do. It took him a few moments to get the feel of the board. When he finally did, Harry started to enjoy himself. He moved with ease around the area set up for riding the boards. At one point, he hit a snow bank with enough force that sent him sideways and almost caused him to do a loop. He finally slowed down and went back to the area where the others were.

Josh and Mitch were standing there with their mouths open, looking in shock at the boy. "Man, that was cool!" Mitch said, as Harry climbed off the board.

"Thanks," Harry said, wondering why everyone was staring at him.

"Yeah, Harry, that was great. It was like you've done it before," Ron said.

"It's sort of like flying a broom," Harry said.

"You play Quidditch?" Josh asked.

"He's the best Seeker at our school," Fred replied.

"I'm not the best," Harry said modestly.

"You're right about that," Draco said, pushing forward. "I bet I can do what Potter just did."

"Go for it," Ron said smiling smugly.

"I will," Draco said as he jumped on the board and took off. The trouble was that he gave to hard of a push-off before getting the feel of the board. Draco went flying and lost control of the board. He landed in a snow bank just a few feet away.

"Draco!" Erin exclaimed, rushing to her brother's side.

As the girl pulled Draco from the snow, he pushed her way and said, "Get off me!"

"I'm just worried about you. You could have gotten hurt," Erin snapped.

"I don't need your help," Draco said as he stormed away. His face was flushed, and it wasn't because of the cold.

Ron and some of the others were laughing at him as Draco left. Harry didn't laugh. He never got joy out of other people's mistakes. Josh went to get the board where it had landed as Mitch said, "You're good, kid. Later today, we're having a contest. It will be for the best who try the boards. The winner will get one of professional boards. You want to try it?"

"Sure. Um, Josh," Harry said. "Why do you call these things 'Boo Boards?'"

Josh grinned at Harry as he answered, "Good question; easy answer ... we," He gestured to his brother as he spoke, "named them Boo Boards because they **ghost** over the ground, never touching it ... they float like a ghost." He shrugged as he finished.

Harry grinned as he nodded, "I like it ... it makes sense."

"Good, here's is the information about it. You'll need a parent's approval to do it because of your age," Mitch said, handing Harry a packet with the information.

"Thanks," Harry said.

"Can we try?" Fred asked.

"Sure; there are four age groups. One winner from each age group will be awarded a board," Josh said as he handed each twin a packet.

Ron took one as well and, shockingly, so did Missy. She wasn't as good as Harry was, but she found she enjoyed it. She figured it wouldn't hurt to try out for her age group. The kids started back home after that talking about the new boards and wondering how much it would cost to buy one. If she didn't win one, she was wondering if she could talk her parents into buying one.

Fred and George walked behind the group and were having one of their private conversations. They were talking about what the American boys had done … starting a company at their age. The twins always wanted to start their own prank shop and before they left, they talked to the boys about how they got started.

The twins learned that the brothers had started small. They had sold stuff at school and then it slowly went from there. The twins realized that they could do that with their joke products. It wouldn't take much to get started. They already had some ideas and a few products. It would only take a sponsor to get them started. At this, the twins thought of Sirius Black and James Potter. The twins couldn't help but wonder if they would be willing to invest in their venture.

When Harry and his friends arrived back at the Longbottom cabin, they found that Draco was already there and that he was whining about the strange American creation.

"Harry, what's this about you guys getting on some uncontrollable board?" Lily asked her son as the kids walked into the lounge area.

"It isn't uncontrollable," Erin said.

"Yeah, you should see Harry on it. He moved around like he was born on one," Ron said.

"Then why did Draco say it was wild and hard to control?" Alice asked.

"Because the prat thought he was better than Harry and jumped on one without knowing how to control it," Ron said.

"Ron, language," Molly snapped.

"Sorry," Ron muttered giving Draco a dirty look.

"Well, Harry. Can you tell me what's going on?" James asked.

"Here," Harry said, handing the packet to his father. "The boys who invented the Boo Board are having a contest. There are different age groups, and the winner of each age group gets a new Boo Board. I did try it out, and it wasn't that different than the skateboard Dudley had at one time."

"Oh, the one that you used to borrow and take to the park when you thought no one was watching," Petunia said with a smile.

"You knew?" Harry said.

"Yes, and that's why I always made sure Dudley was doing other things when you did it," Petunia said.

"Thanks," Harry said.

"You're welcome," Petunia said.

"What is a skateboard?" James asked.

"It's a board on wheels. Muggle kids love them. Dudley asked for one a few years ago but found it hard to control. Harry, on the other hand, was good at it and used it until it was broken," Petunia said.

"Yeah, Dad ran his car over it when I left it outside one day," Dudley said sadly.

"You did that because Piers challenged you to a contest," Harry said grinning.

Dudley was about to deny it but then smiled. "You're right. I did," the boy admitted.

"Okay, so Harry has used something like this before," James said reading the booklet.

"Yeah, and it's cool. I really want to try to win one," Harry begged.

"You cheated. You acted like you never tired one before," Draco complained.

"You never gave me a chance to say anything about it. If you had, I would have said something about it. Besides, it's not the same. A Muggle skateboard has skates and rides on the ground; a Boo Board doesn't have skates and hovers in the air. They are different." Harry said.

"Okay, that's enough," Lily said, seeing a fight brewing.

"Sorry," Harry said.

Narcissa gave her son a shove and shot him a dirty look. "Yes, I'm sorry," Draco, said.

James was ignoring them. He was busy reading the booklet. "Okay, tell you what. I'll go talk to these boys about this board of theirs, and if I find it safe, I'll sign you up," James told his son.

"Great," Harry said jumping for joy.

Arthur noticed that Ron and the twins had booklets as well. "I'll go with you," Arthur said to James.

Missy was smiling at her father and holding a booklet in front of him. William sighed and said, "I'll go as well and see what this Boo Board is all about."

"Thank you," Missy said, giving her father a kiss.

"Don't get your hopes up," William told his daughter. "I might say no."

"But you might say yes," Missy said.

The kids were sent upstairs to clean up for supper, and the men went to check out the Boo Boards that had the kids so excited. While they were gone, Remus, along with Severus, arrived by floo. The pair was working with members of the St. Mungo's hospital on the cure for werewolves.

"Remus, Severus, what brings you here?" Lily said, greeting the pair.

"We came to talk to Harry about Fawkes," Remus said.

"So, is it true? Did Fawkes' tears cure you?" Alice asked.

"Not quiet, but they played a part in it. It turns out it was the venom from the Basilisk **and** the tears … combined, that did it," Remus said.

"Along with the potion that he was taking," Severus added.

"Oh, so if you add those two items to the potion, that should cure lycanthropy?" Lily asked.

"That's what we're hoping. It's why we need to talk to Harry. If he will allow us to borrow Fawkes for awhile, then we might be able to brew the cure," Remus said.

"He's upstairs. I'll go get him," Lily said as she left to get Harry.

"I hope, for both of you, that it works," Petunia said to Remus and Severus.

"It would make both of you rich men," Narcissa said.

"I don't care about the money. I just care about helping to cure the others," Remus said.

Snape didn't comment. He cared about the money because it would mean that he wouldn't have to teach any more. He could do what he loved and not worry about monetary things any longer. It would get him away from "those insufferable dunderheaded brats."

Harry and Lily walked into the room, and Remus explained what they wanted from Harry. Harry said he had no trouble with it, but that it was up to Fawkes. Harry had learned that you didn't tell Fawkes what to do. He did what he wanted. Harry did agree to ask him and called for the bird. Fawkes flashed in and landed on Harry's shoulder. He told the phoenix what Remus and the professor wanted. Fawkes shook his head.

"You won't give them your tears?" Harry asked.

Fawkes shook his head.

"You won't go with them," Harry asked.

Fawkes nodded.

Remus and Severus looked at each other. "Are you sure that you need fresh tears?" Remus asked Severus.

"I'm sure. I talked to Albus about it, and he said fresh tears have the most power," Severus said.

Lily and Alice talked with each other for a moment, and then Alice said, "You could brew it here; there's a potion lab in the basement."

Severus sighed at this and then looked at Petunia for a moment. "Alright, I'll do it," He agreed.

"Good," Lily said.

Harry gave Fawkes a dirty look, "You do know this is your fault, don't you?" Harry muttered to the bird.

"Harry, what did you just say?" Lily asked at hearing Harry only making bird sounds.

"Nothing important, I was just talking to Fawkes," Harry said.

"You did say something then," Alice said, shocked.

"Yes, I was, but it wasn't important, really," Harry said not understanding why the group didn't seem to understand what he said. "I think I'm going to join the others," Harry replied quickly, getting out of there before he got into trouble.

The adults stood there in shock, watching him leave. "So, he can talk to animals other than snakes," Remus said.

"It seems so," Severus replied interested.

"Harry could be a Beast Speakers," Alice said.

"You think?" Lily asked.

"They **are** rare, but they **do** exist. I know from my talks with Neville that he talks to plants. I think that's why he hates potions. He hates cutting the plants; he sees it as hurting them," Alice said smiling at Severus.

"That's something to make note on. If the boy can talk to plants, it would make it difficult for him to brew potions. There are ways to help him, but I don't think he will ever become a Potion Master," Severus said.

"I don't think Neville wants to be one," Alice admitted.

"Good to know," Severus said, relived. He hated the idea of putting up with Neville past his fifth year.

He might not even have to do that if Severus got things his way. Severus and Minerva had been talking about school. She was just named Headmistress by the school board a short time ago. The board was working on restructuring the classes so they could reopen the school soon.

Severus had asked her to hire a potion's assistant to teach the younger classes. He hated teaching them and would only stay if an assistant were hired. If not, then she was going to have to find a Potion Master. Minerva knew him well enough to realize that he meant what he said, so she was talking to the board about it. He hoped it would work; but if it didn't, he would look for another job, or maybe he'd make a living from the werewolf antidote.

"Well, if Harry **is** able to talk to animals, it's going to be interesting to find out what kind and how many," Lily said.

Harry was upstairs filling the others in on Professor Snape coming to stay with them. "No," Ron cried.

"What's wrong with Professor Snape?" Fred asked.

"The guy is a git," Ron said.

"Yes, to people that cause trouble in his class," George said.

"Meaning you don't?" Ron snapped.

"No, Potions is the one class we behave in. If you goof off in that class, someone could get hurt," Fred said.

"He's still a git," Ron said.

"Just because you don't like him doesn't mean he's git," Draco snapped.

"Yes, and if you would stop throwing things in other people's potions, then maybe he wouldn't be in a bad mood all the time," Hermione snapped.

"I don't either," Draco said.

"Yes, you do. Or you talked Crabbe and Goyle into doing your dirty work for you. I see them do it all the time," Hermione said.

"They do it; and for your information, they get in trouble for it. Professor Snape might not say anything in front of you Gryffindors, but he does take points away from them and force them to clean up his lab," Draco said.

"He does?" Harry said shocked.

"Yes, the reason he doesn't do it in front of you is because Slytherin house has enough trouble with the other houses as it is," Draco said.

"Likely story," Ron said.

"You won't know; you're Golden Boy's best friend. You get to do whatever you want," Draco said.

"Hold it, what are you talking about?" Harry asked.

"Come off it, Potter. Everyone knows that Professor Dumbledore allowed you to break any rule you wanted just because you're Gryffindor's heir," Draco snapped.

"I didn't ask him to," Harry snapped.

"But you took advantage of it," Draco said.

Fred tapped Draco on the shoulder and said, "Who **bought** his way onto the Slytherin Quidditch Team?"

"Potter is the one who got to play in his first year," Draco said.

"Harry played because he was good enough, even as a first year, and any first year can play as long as they are good enough. The reason Harry was the first one in over 100 years is because he was the best there was," Percy said.

"He was also the only one that took the position. We had trouble finding someone to replace Charlie because of the beating he took from Slytherin his last year," Fred added.

"I don't know about that," Draco said.

"You wouldn't, but it happened. Charlie was jumped in a hallway right before they played the last game of the year. He ended up getting hurt so badly that he couldn't play, and Slytherin won the cup. Professor McGonagall and Oliver were worried that no one would try out because of it. A rumor went around school that the same thing would happen to the new Seeker. That was why Professor McGonagall asked everyone to keep a close eye on Harry his first year," Percy went on to say.

"She did?" asked a shocked Harry.

"Yes, sorry mate; she told us not to tell you. She didn't want to scare you into quitting the team," Fred said.

"I wouldn't have quit, but it would have been nice to know," Harry said.

"Next time, we will tell you," George said.

"He still gets special treatment," Draco said.

"Oh, give it up, Draco," Erin snapped at her brother. "You're just a spoiled little brat who's throwing a fit because someone else is taking center stage, and you want it for yourself!"

"I am not!" Draco said.

"Then why are you throwing a fit? Why did you cry when mother told you we couldn't get anything from the house right now? You only care about yourself. Father might be going to prison, and you don't even care. You only care about what it means for you," Erin snapped at her brother.

"It wouldn't be happening if it wasn't for Potter and his friends," Draco snapped.

"It wouldn't be happening if our father hadn't sold his soul to Voldemort," Erin snapped.

"Don't say that name," Draco hissed.

"Voldemort … **Voldemort** … **VOLDEMORT**," Erin said repeatedly getting right in her brother's face and getting louder with each repetition.

"Okay, that's enough," Penny said, breaking in the middle of the siblings' argument. "It doesn't matter anymore about what special treatment Harry got or didn't get in school. As for your father … his problems are just that: **his** problems. Now, let's stop fighting and enjoy our holiday."

"Come on, Erin," Ginny said. "Let's go look at Missy's Muggle teen magazines."

Erin snorted and went away with Ginny, Luna and Missy. Draco left the room as well, to go to his room and sulk. Penny, Hermione and Susan went to talk about the potion they were planning to brew. This left the boys alone for while. They talked about Boo Boards and the upcoming contest.

After supper, Hermione, Susan and Penny talked the others into working on the potion in the Longbottom potion lab. The kids stood around the table as Susan read, Hermione gathered, and Penny brewed the potion. The others just watched as the girls worked.

They were in the middle of the first stage of the potion when Severus walked into the lab and asked, "What's going on here?"

"We're brewing the potion that will tell us about our magical gifts," Dudley said.

Severus grunted at this and checked the children's work. "Cut those flobberworms smaller, Ms. Granger," Severus said.

"Like this?" Hermione asked as she did what Severus said.

"Yes, that's it," Severus said. "Ms. Clearwater, after you're done there, what's your next step?"

"It has to sit and cool down for eight hours," she said.

"Good," Severus said looking at the book that the kids were using for the potion. "Ravenclaw's book?" the Potion Master asked Harry.

"Yes, Sir," Harry said.

"May I borrow it?" Severus asked.

"Yes, Sir," Harry said, shocked. He was wondering if this was Professor Snape or not because he sure wasn't acting like him.

"Thank you, now get. I have things to do. I'll watch this potion for you," Severus said as he pointed to the door.

"Yes, Sir," the kids said, and everyone quickly left the room, leaving Severus alone. He looked at the potion and nodded in approval.

"I wonder what it's going to show them. I wonder what it would show me?" Severus said, to himself before going over the room making sure he had everything he would need for the potion he was planning to brew.

Once he was sure he had everything he needed, he cleaned the mess the kids had left. Even though he wished he could, he couldn't really blame them for it. He had run them off, after all. Besides, it gave him time to think about something that has been on his mind since reading Lily's Diary. It was also the reason he agreed to say here in the first place. If what he read was true, what was going to do? He could act on it right away, but was the right thing, or should he just wait it out. He didn't know. He had to think about it more.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

The day of the Boo Board contest finally arrived. James and the other fathers had agreed to let their children participate in the event. Harry and Ron were in one age group. Missy was in another and the twins were in the other. Sirius and James signed up for the older age bracket. Lily thought they were nuts, but they were going to do it anyway.

James and Sirius stood with the other contestants, most of them a good ten years younger than they were, waiting their turn. A couple of the boys were laughing, and one of them said to Sirius, "Hey, old man. The Muggles have a saying, 'if you can't run with the big dogs, you should stay on the porch.'"

"Sirius," James warned. Sirius just smiled, turned into Padfoot, and started to growl while bearing his teeth. "I think you insulted him," James said to the boys.

"Sorry," the boys said, and they quickly backed away.

Sirius turned back to normal and called, "Come back when **you** can play with the big dogs!"

"Sirius, you're crazy," Harry said while walking and fighting to pin his number on his winter robe.

"Hey, it taught them to not call me, Gramps," Sirius said to Harry as he took the number from Harry that he'd gotten for him.

"Well, we better go line up. Missy's age group goes first, and she's fourth," Harry said, starting down the hill where the others were starting to gather.

* * *

The kids in Missy's age group kept things simple and didn't do too many stunts. Missy didn't win. She did come in second place, though. A boy a year older than Missy won, but only because he accidentally did a loop when he lost control of the board. If he had crashed while doing it she might have won, but since he didn't, he won.

Harry and Ron's age group was next. It was sometime while they were waiting that Harry learned how badly his friend wanted to win the board. Ron went fourth and was in the lead. Harry had gone last. The longer things went with the other kids messing up or wiping out, the more it became clear that it was down to Harry and Ron.

Now, Harry knew he could win, or that's what he thought. The trouble was that Harry didn't want to win any more. He had the feeling that if he actually asked for one, James would buy him a Boo Board for Christmas. Ron's parents couldn't afford one. Harry knew it, and Ron knew it. This was Ron's only shot at getting one.

So, when it came to Harry's turn, he did the noble thing and messed up enough to come in second, behind Ron. He did it by knocking his glasses off during the event. Harry knew he couldn't see without them. Not being able to see properly gave Harry a good reason for falling off his board and landing in the snow. What Harry didn't count on was the landing. He landed a bit too hard and ended up hitting the same shoulder he had broken playing Quidditch during school this year.

"Harry," Ron and the others rushed over as the boy sat up holding his left shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Lily asked.

"Yeah, I think so," Harry said, looking around at all the blurry faces.

"Here," James said, putting Harry's glasses back on his face.

"Thanks," Harry said, noticing that his glasses had broken in the fall.

Josh and Mitch rushed over looking worried. "Are you okay?" Josh asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just lost my glass; that's all," Harry said.

"Man, you need contacts," Josh said.

"What are those?" James asked.

"They're lenses that fit on your eyes. They correct your vision like glasses do, but don't fall off like glasses do. They **can** pop out, though. Muggles created them, but I think there is a kind for wizards now. You can have them spelled so that you can keep them in all the time," Mitch said. "Our sister has them, hers are charmed to change color with her mood."

"Oh, I wonder if you can get them even if you don't need them to see," Susan said.

"I don't know. You can check," Josh said.

"Well, right now, Harry needs a Healer," Lily said, helping her son to his feet. "Come on."

"Yes, Ma'am," Harry said, wincing in pain as he moved.

Mitch and Josh told Ron that he had won. The others stayed behind to celebrate with him, while Lily took Harry to the Healers' tent with James close behind. The moment they were out of earshot of the others James leaned close to his son and said, "That was nice what you did."

"Did?" Harry said puzzled.

"You know what I mean; I would have done the same thing for Moony. So, if I don't win a Boo Board. I'll buy you one for Christmas," James said.

"If?" Lily said eyeing her husband. "James, I have a bet with Alice that I'm going to be taking you and Sirius to the Healers' Tent by the time this day is done."

"I'll take some of that action," James said smiling.

"Okay; if I win, you have to be nice to Severus for the entire time we're here. No rude remarks about him or to him," Lily said.

"Deal," James said. Harry thought his father made a mistake making this bet, but he didn't say it. He wasn't about to destroy his chance to get a Boo Board for Christmas.

Harry had been right; James **did** regret making that bet. He and Sirius both ended up the Healers' Tent. James had lost his glasses, except he didn't do it on purpose the way Harry had. James' landing was just as bad as Harry's, and he broke his right arm. It was while the Healer was working on his arm that James told Harry that they were **both** going to get contacts. He was sick and tired of losing or breaking his glasses. Harry didn't mind and thought it might be fun to have contacts.

As for the other events, Fred won for his age group, and he promised to share his Boo Board with George. Molly had talked Ron into sharing his board with Ginny. Ron didn't mind at the time because he was still on cloud nine about winning it. It wasn't until later that Ron realized he had actually agreed to share his board with his sister.

* * *

He complained to Harry that night as they were getting ready for bed. "I can't believe I have to share it with her," Ron said.

"Come on, Ron, it isn't like she'll ride it all the time. Besides, it's still **your** board," Harry said.

"You didn't have to share your Nimbus with anyone," Ron said.

"Oh, didn't I?" Harry asked, sitting up in bed and holding his sore arm.

"Um, well …" Ron started to stutter at that. Harry **had** shared his Nimbus with someone even though he didn't have to. It had been Ron, and he knew it. "Okay, I'll share."

"Good, now let's get some sleep. My arm hurts," Harry said, dropping down on his bed to get some sleep.

Neville was smiling from the other side of the room. He had guessed what Harry had done and why. He didn't think Ron knew it, and was pretty sure he wouldn't like it if he had known. He would keep it a secret. He did know, though, that Harry was a better person than Ron and maybe even the rest of them were. He thought more about others than himself. Neville wondered if Harry realized that this was why everyone looked up to him, even boys Percy's age. Neville didn't think so. He figured Harry would never see it.

* * *

Monday morning, Petunia, James, Sirius and Frank headed back to London to face a long day of meetings with the Wizengamot, leaving the others back at the Longbottom cabin. As the group made their way into the Wizengamot Chambers, it was clear to all that the others were on edge about today. The room was quieter than normal, and everyone was jumping at any sound.

"I think there are a lot of guilty people in this room," James said to Sirius.

"You bet there are," Frank said.

The group made their way to their seats and sat waiting for the room to fill. Lucius and his wife were close to the last to arrive. Lucius took his seat with Narcissa sitting beside him. James and Sirius both wondered if Narcissa had her hand on her wand as she sat there. They had a hunch she did because Narcissa's hand was in her robes the entire time she sat there.

Finally, the room was full and Fudge took control of the meeting. He was going to lead the Wizengamot until a new leader was voted in. This wasn't going to happen until everything was settled with the marked Death Eaters. Albus wasn't the leader any more; he had lost the position because of the events that took place at Hogwarts. He wasn't event there today. He had turned the care of his seats over to his daughter Helga. She was sitting in her father's seat watching everyone. As she sat there, she had the same expression and half-smile on her face that her father always had.

"I think everyone knows why we're here; so, we might as well get to it. Is there anyone here who has been marked as a follower of You-Know-Who," Fudge asked the room.

"I knew he couldn't say his name," Sirius said to Petunia.

"Shhh," Petunia said, as she sat there watching as everyone around her looked at each other wondering who would go first.

Slowly, one-by-one people in the room started to stand up, the first few weren't shocking, as they came from families for which such allegiance was expected, like Mr. Crabbe and Mr. Goyle. They were always Lucius' followers, so it was clear that they would be marked. Richard Nott was easy to pick out as well. It was people like Madam Edgecombe, a Fudge staff member, that Petunia wouldn't have guessed to be a marked Death Eater.

All-in-all, twenty people were standing, and five of them were full Lords. Fudge nodded and the group sat down. This is when the fun began; and by the time the fighting was over, it was clear that the Pure-bloods had taken a hit.

The fines for the marked Lords were steep. Three were forced to give up their seats and put them up for sale to cover the fines. Lucius lost everything including his seats. He was now penniless and he was going to be forced to turn to depend on Sirius for financial help. Crabbe's and Goyle's fathers had to borrow money from their wives' fathers to pay their fines. They were moving away to live near them after the meeting today. They had no choice really. They couldn't support their families and since Lucius could no longer help them. They only had their wives families to turn to for help. In fact, many followers of You-Know-Who were moving away. They had no choice. It was either that or start over from scratch. They weren't about to start over, so they were leaving.

Fudge sighed deeply at all of this because many of his supporters were leaving him. He was now left with people who didn't respect him and wanted him out of office. He knew that the day was coming, and he had a feeling he wasn't going to be able to stop it.

It didn't help that Fudge was forced to release people like the Lestranges from Azkaban because of the law. He knew this was not going to help him with the popular vote when the election came around next fall.

As James and the others got ready to leave, it was easy to tell that they weren't happy about any of it. The Wizengamot was clear of You- Know-Who's followers or most of them. What James and the others didn't like was that several of them were free from Azkaban as well.

"I guess I better go talk to Cissy about Bella," Sirius said.

"What are you going to do about her?" James asked.

"I don't know. I would love to have her sleeping on the streets; but she is family, like it or not," Sirius grumbled.

"I feel for you, mate," James said, patting his friend on the back.

"Thanks," Sirius said while walking off.

Petunia pulled out a small pocket watch from her robe and looked at the time. "We have enough time before School Board meeting to grab something to eat, before heading to Hogwarts for the School Board meeting," Petunia said to James and Frank.

"Oh, damn; I forgot about that," Frank cursed.

"It has to be done, if the school is going to open again," Petunia said.

"Well, at least Lucius isn't on the board anymore," James said.

"No, Narcissa took his seat. I think it was her mother's originally, after all," Petunia said.

"Oh, that's right. The Black family joined the board after Phineas Nigellus became Headmaster," Frank said.

"Yes, that's correct," James said.

"Well, we better get going. I want to get home sometime this century," Frank said.

James agreed, and the group made their way Hogwarts, to spend the rest of the day and most of the night dealing with the changes that were going to be enacted when the school started up once again.

* * *

While the Wizengamot was meeting, Harry and his friends sat around in the room the boys were sharing. They were getting ready to take the potion that would tell them their talents and specialties. Each one had a piece of parchment in front of them and a quill. The kids were to take the potion then prick their finger with the tip of the quill. The quill would then magically write down their talents on the paper.

"Who goes first?" Harry asked.

"Why not do it together," Susan said.

"Okay, on three," George said.

"One," Fred started.

"Two," Dudley said.

"Three," Harry said, and the kids downed the potion together. They then quickly pricked their finger and put the quill on the paper.

After a few moments, the quills started to write. Harry read:

Power level: high

Intelligence: high

Gifts: Beast-speaker

Multi-Animagus

Charms

Transfigurations

"That's it?" Harry said confused.

"Well, what did you want a list of everything you would be good at?" Hermione asked.

"Yes," Harry said.

"It doesn't work that way, Harry. What you're good at will depend on how hard you work at things," Penny Clearwater said.

"Okay, I get that, but what does it mean Multi-Animagus?" Harry asked_. _

"It means you have more than one form," Hermione said.

"I wonder what they are." Harry mused.

"You will have to find that out later by using another potion," Susan said.

"Okay," Harry said, and he looked at Ron's paper. "What does yours say?"

"I'm average, and I'm an Animagus," Ron said.

"That's cool, we can find out together," Harry said.

"Yeah, I guess," Ron said. He was a bit hurt that he was average.

One-by-one everyone shared what they had. Hermione, of course, was highly intelligent, but what shocked her was that her power level wasn't high. She was marked slightly above average. She was hoping for more, and she sat there sulking about it for a bit. Hermione wasn't an Animagus, either.

Susan was not shocked at what she found. She fit in perfectly with her family. Hers read that she was slightly above average in everything. She wasn't an Animagus, but that didn't shock her because no one in her family was one so, she didn't think she would be one either.

Erin, Penny, and Missy were all the same. The girls were intelligent, not highly, but intelligent. Their power levels were slightly above average, and they were not Animagi. They were shown to be elemental witches. Erin was a wind elemental, Penny was water elemental and Missy was a fire elemental.

Penny explained that they could perform magic that controlled the weather and that there were only a few such Elementals in the world. She went on to tell them that this kind of magic isn't taught at Hogwarts, and if they wanted to pursue it, they'd have to find an Elemental of the same kind – air and water – to teach them, or perhaps they could learn a little from books. She stressed that the best way to learn, though, would be to find an Elemental.

Ginny's read the same as Harry's. She was also an Animagus and a beast-speaker. This shocked Ginny, for she never thought of herself as person who could talk to animals, but it seems she was. The only gift that she had that Harry didn't was healing. It said she was a natural healer.

Dennis and Colin's were like Ron's, except that they weren't Animagi. The boys didn't mind this; they always knew they were average. It was how they had always been.

Dudley's shocked him. His said that was slight above average in power level and intelligence. His skill was in potion making, and he was a Multi-Animagus.

Neville sat looking at his paper not saying anything. "What is it Neville?" Harry asked.

"I think something went wrong with my potion," Neville said.

"Everyone took the same potion, Neville," Hermione said taking the paper from the boy's hand and reading it. It read like this.

Neville Longbottom:

Power level: above average but surpressed

Intelligence: high but surpressed

Gifts: Herbology

Plant-Speaker

Empath

Animagus

"What does it mean surpressed?" Ginny asked.

"It could mean anything? Either someone has surpressed Neville's powers or something happened to him to do cause it. I think we should tell the others about this. Maybe, they can figure out what happened," Penny said.

"I don't know. I mean how this could be right. The first time my family figured out I could do magic is when my uncle dropped me out of a window and I bounced," Neville said.

"Neville, have more faith in yourself. You helped us stop Voldemort and you are one of the heirs of Hogwarts. So, it is possible that you are as powerful as this says. I think we should just tell your parents about this and see what they say about it," Harry said.

"Okay, but I still don't believe it," Neville said and the kids went on to read what their paper had written on them.

Fred and George read that they were telepathic, slight intelligent, and their power levels were just above average. They were also Animagi.

Percy wasn't shocked to find that what his read either. He always knew he was intelligent, his power level was average, and he wasn't going to be an Animagus. It was something he just wouldn't want to do even if he was technically able.

Harry looked over at Luna and asked her what her paper said. Luna put the paper down and everyone read it. Luna's power level was high, along with her intelligence. It also said that Luna was a seer.

"Wow," Ginny said shocked.

"Now, I understand why you're so strange," Erin, said.

"Erin, that isn't nice," Percy said.

"I mean it as a complement," Erin said. "Seers see the world differently than we do. It's just how they are."

"How do you know that?" Hermione asked.

"My Aunt Bella is one, or that's what Mother says. It's why she's always a bit off," Erin said.

"Bellatrix Lestrange is a seer?" Neville said shocked.

"Yes, or she was before she was sent to prison. Mother told me that she didn't know if she still was because of the Dementors. They could have killed her gift," Erin said.

"I don't believe it," Neville said shaking his head.

"Why is that, because she's a Death Eater? Maybe, the reason she was made one was because Voldemort knew about it?" Erin asked.

"She's right. It would make sense for Voldemort to have Bella around if she was a Seer," Harry said.

"Yes, I guess you're right," Neville said. He still didn't like Bella or the others who had hurt his parents. He knew from, listening to his parents talk, that there was a possibility that they could get out. Neville didn't like the idea, but there was nothing he could do about it, so he didn't say anything.

After reading their papers one more time, Harry and his friends decided to go out and enjoy the snow. They didn't know when school was going to start, and they wanted to enjoy their brake as much as possible before then.

**The End**

Look for the next part … "A New Hogwarts"


End file.
